Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Annie Keating deserves the attention of the majority of music lovers, the best of the unknown warrior to whom the weapon of guitar and lyrical drama can bring forth sparks and the sound of ancient fought battles and then just as easily, just as candidly, wrap the resulting combat in clothes of purity and the essence of serene culture and belief.
The Brooklyn based singer songwriter, whose studio albums have included the superb Bristol Country Tides, Make Believing, and the sublime Hard Frost, seeks to exemplify her soul’s desire by releasing in the sense of the raw and guided pleasure – The Annie Keating Band: Live recording.
The Little Rabbit Barn venue may be as far from anywhere as possible when it comes to showcasing such a talent, indeed it is a venue that few outside of its locality will have heard of, and yet over two nights of entertaining and alluring music, what comes to pass is a expression of the breathing truth of Annie Keating’s towering accessibility and passionate display of cohesive and observational skills as a writer and performer.
Adding weight to the framed songs on offer is Joe Coombs, Jamie Dawson, and Scott Warman, and in their insight and heartfelt respect for the woman at the centre of the stage, they produce a sensational rendition of music that is complimentary and the very definition of cool.
Across tracks such as Lovesick Blues, It Already Hurts When You Leave, the glorious Third Street, the unrelenting legitimacy of feelings in the pursuit of proving worth in Road By Ten, and Kindred Spirit, the calmness of articulation and the statement of intent merge with seamless fascination and the resulting delivery is of the divine, the natural, and the healing power of art.
The Little Rabbit Barn venue holds a secret we all should know and appreciate, that to be in the company of one who can hold discourse with language and directness, whether in a venue which holds thousands or one that is a wonderful hideaway in the middle of an oasis of artistry, is to be cherished; and as – The Annie Keating Band: Live proves with ease, it is one that beyond the pomp and circumstance is a far greater reveal of our times.
Ian D. Hall