Wye Oak

From one important seaport to another, Wye Oak came across the pond from Baltimore to Dover as they played at The Booking Hall. From the home of the Star Spangled Banner to the home of Banksy's Brexit mural and, so they were told, "the best castle in the world", Wye Oak traversed the three-thousand seven-hundred miles across the North Atlantic to play to a very intimate crowd at a venue in the shadow of a flyover nestled between the docks and the railway.  

Buoyed by the success of their latest album 'The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs', it was fortuitous to catch the Marylanders so up close and personal in such a small capacity venue. The duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack were also joined on stage for a large proportion of the gig by an additional bassist as Jenn played guitar and sang vocals whilst Andy delivered some wonderful percussive wizardry and deft keyboards. 

Supporting Wye Oak was soloist Oaklander and former baker Madeline Kenney. Kenney delivered a quick set of numbers with nimble dexterity as she looped vocals and guitars in varying ways to concoct a much bigger sound than expected from her solo self. Her set was made up of her own material until the final track: a cover of Cass McCombs 'Medusa's Outhouse' (not exactly an obvious choice for a cover but a previous release and good nonetheless). Madeline's mastery of the pedals was a lesson in itself but it was her vocal that defined her performance. "I'm usually funny back home", she quipped after thanking everyone for being there, "It's pretty cool... I saw a castle". 'Signals' was her set highlight, built around revolving rhythms and a luscious layered vocal.  

Continue reading: Wye Oak - The Booking Hall, Dover, Kent 14.08.2018 Live Review