Words by Ed King
On Monday 9th April, Nerina Pallot performs at The Glee Club in Birmingham – with support from Cattle & Cane.
Doors are open at The Glee Club from 7:00pm to 7:45pm, with the show scheduled to start at 8pm. Please note, latecomers will not be admitted. Tickets are priced at £18.50 (adv) – for direct show information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.
Stopping off in Birmingham for the second date on her April UK tour, Nerina Pallot is on the road with her latest album, Stay Lucky. Released in October 2017, Pallot’s sixth studio album is a ten track line in the sand – a polished LP with strong melodies, recorded in a reported two week stint at London’s RAK Studio.
A friend once challenged my to name an artist, or band, that got better album by album. Try it. It’s not as easy as its sounds. But Nerina Pallot is a firm fixture on that list, having evolved from the Dear Frustrated Superstar days of pop intent into the savvy lyricist and genre crossing multi-instrumentalist that delivered The Sound and the Fury and Stay Lucky.
Pallot’s never been too far away from addictive melodies, but her last two albums are well rounded stamps of superiority; from vocals to rhythm, there’s an exciting late bloom coming from Pallot in these not-so-salad days. There’s also a bevvy EPs out there too, with Pallot undertaking the very literal Year of EPs project
– releasing one extended play each month across 2014. Google and ye shall find.
But to pick out a couple of cherries from Pallot’s latest LP to reference, the title track wouldn’t be a bad place to start – ‘Stay Lucky’ shows off Pallot’s vocal range, subtle production, and aptitude for ivory led melodies. Then after a couple of backwards arrow clicks and you have ‘Bring Him Fire’, a tough edged declaration with some staccato guitar from Bernard Butler. But it’s all cracking stuff on Stay Lucky, with elements of jazz, soul, and mature pop melodies flecked throughout the album.
Pallot’s legion of live fans, that travel the length and breadth of the UK to follow her on tour (in a way that would end you up in court if you don’t have the ticket stubs to argue a defence), will be shouting from the side lines right about now as well. It’s not just Nerina Pallot’s music that has made her such a supported and self-governed artist, there is something inescapable and endearing (and funny) when she performs. If you haven’t seen Pallot perform live, you really should.
And whilst I could drown us all in hyperbole, adverbs, and Union Chapel reviews to back this up, instead I’ll stumble over a somewhat clumsy segue, as Birmingham gets its chance to find out on…
‘Stay Lucky’ – Nerina Pallot
Nerina Pallot performs at The Glee Club on Monday 9th April – with support from Cattle & Cane. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.glee.co.uk/performer/nerina-pallot
For more on Nerina Pallot, visit www.nerinapallot.com
For more on Cattle & Cane, visit www.cattleandcane.co.uk
For more on The Glee Club venues, including further event listings across all sites, visit www.glee.co.uk
