WILLY MASON

Thekla, Bristol | December 4th

As tonight’s support, Nick Mulvey, leaves the stage amidst silenced awe (how often does an unheard of support act impress a crowd this much?), this mellow, yet cheery atmosphere is set to welcome Willy Mason, who shuffles into sight unpretentiously. With a quick but friendly acknowledgement of his audience, he launches into So Long, complete with jangling riff and memorable lyrics.

Mason breezes through his set, interspersed with relaxed and genuinely friendly audience chit-chat. He makes numerous references to his folk upbringing and the Massachusetts scenery that he grew up in. The songs reflect this, with Willy Mason’s wryly observational lyrics, fragile riffs and plodding basslines conjuring up images of bluesy Americana and hand-me-down folk. He plays old favourites, such as Hard Hand to Hold, Where the Humans Eat and the crowd-pleasing Oxygen. But tonight’s real stand-out tracks come from new album Carry On: Pickup Truck had the crowd chanting along to the “call out, call out” refrain, whilst the title track drew a revered silence. It’s rare to hear the Thekla this hushed, the silence cut through by that voice, more gravely, matured and rootsy than before. Throughout the lamenting tone of Talk Me Down, Willy is also able to show his voice can ride the crest of those high notes perfectly too. His skilled backing band complement his voice perfectly, with their unobtrusive accompaniment and carefully-managed musicianship.

Finally, Restless Fugitive, the Dan Carey-produced single which has been creating a palpable stir ahead of the new album, was delicately played, the audience captivated with the almost hymnal-like quality of the track, heard Mason filling the hull of the Thekla with his authentic drawl. “I feel the need to ask forgiveness”, Mason pleads in his rich baritone. As the final chord is strummed and the applause reaches levels generally unheard of at folk gigs, forgiveness is not something he needs to ask for tonight.