Plumhall
Album: Live at the Courthouse EP
Label: Hum
Tracks: 4
Website: http://www.plumhall.co.uk

On 21 December 2011 I was fortunate enough to attend a superb concert in Otley Courthouse which celebrated the Hall Brothers & John Carey 20th year of performing together. As well as being a Hall Brother, Nick Hall also plays in the duo Plumhall with Michelle Plum who has previously been a member of Chumbawamba, Waking the Witch and Accidental Tourists.

As supporting artists on this special occasion, Nick and Michelle had invited Dave Mastrocola (bassist in the band Amsterdam), Chris Bunyan (cajon) and Chalie Daykin (keyboards) to augment their sound which they did most effectively - to the point that I very much hope there are other such collaborations in the future.

It was soon clear that a permanent record (no pun intended!) should be made of their performance that evening - both to serve as a souvenir of the evening but also to fill the gap before their studio album is released this coming winter.

The EP opens with my favourite Nick Hall song of the moment 'Never Forget My Name' which was inspired by Nick's recent visit to South Africa's vineyards whilst on tour there. The lyrics remind us that the wine trade in South Africa was built on slavery but also that, however badly people are treated, they remain individuals and breaking souls is much harder than breaking bodies. The driving tune serves to heighten the spirit of the resistance in the song and makes its it almost anthemic in its impact.

Three of Michelle's songs make up the rest of the EP. 10,000 Locks, a touching tale of how someone sabotages her own happiness by making the same mistakes over and over again, has a subtle country feel which is beautifully enhanced by Charlie Daykin's piano harmonies and Nick's filigree guitar work in the short instrumental section. The following song, 'No Fear', maintains the rather dark, reflective mood and was written in memory of Johnny Kennedy whose indomitable spirit throughout his ultimately fatal condition proved inspirational to others. Finally 'Silence can Be Gold' picks up the tempo and rock sensibilities of the band again in an angry response to the continuing claims by Jeremy Bamber that his clinically depressed sister was responsible for the murder of his adoptive parents in 1985.

The whole of the performance that evening, represented here by these fine songs, reinforced my long-standing conviction that, if all goes as it should, Plumhall will be playing to much larger, but equally enthusiastic, audiences in the not too distant future.

With excellent sound engineering by Mike Thrussell and just enough audience response captured to keep the live feel without disrupting the flow, this EP is a superb introduction to Plumhall - though it perhaps makes the wait for the full CD even more unbearable for their fans!

Joe Grint