Lau

Discovering dazzling folk music

Something of a folkie-newbie, I was not previously familiar with Lau. A trio of accordion, guitar and fiddle, they play music blistering and fresh. I saw them last night at the beautiful Queen’s Hall, supported by MacMaster/Hay, whose combination of electric harp and percussion delivered some interesting sounds.

With Lau onstage, the atmosphere was inviting. There is little precious or staid about this folk group. Amid the music, banter and asides on whisky and East Anglia engaged the crowd, with nods to concerts and collaborations past and future. The band is generous with wit and chemistry, with accordionist Martin Green the willing and splendidly outfitted target of jibes from Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle) and Kris Drever (guitar and vocals).

Splendidly outfitted folk (photo credit: The Queen's Hall)

Their playing dazzles. The musicianship is of a type I find simply mind-boggling: intuitive, telepathic, ferociously skilled. Rooting the music solidly, hallmarks of folk are present and correct. There are strong unison melodies, knotty battles between complex and simple times (between the note-torrent and the bang-bang-bang), and devious changes and tacets.

All of this is tackled effortlessly by the band, frequently at breakneck speed. But the music is never showy; it is organic and has space to breathe. There are gorgeous moments, notably the soaring new island-inspired track Torsa and vocal pieces Evergreen and Ghosts. When it comes, the rush of complexity grows naturally from simple motifs. At one magical point, all three play a rocking, quiet arpeggiated figure together; then, from its elegance springs a virtuosic whirl.

The end of the night brought a glowing display of Lau’s skill. A fine rendition of Lal Waterson’s Midnight Feast faded to quietness, with a chance for each member of the band to shine in turn. Before long, the intensity built up once more and we were carried into a rollicking finale, the band yet again embracing inspired, unexpected turns in the music with power and joy. The crowd were rapturous and I left excited by discovery.