The most surprising moment of Clara Mann’s show was when she walked on stage at the start. Having spent several weeks listening to her startling debut Rift, I couldn’t believe just how young she actually was. I hope that doesn’t sound patronising, but if it does I am going to make things even worse with a massive cliché – the songs on Rift sound like they come from an old soul, someone who has wrenched their words and voice from years of tough experiences.
Once I got over that surprise, though, the rest of the evening was less of a shock. Because Clara Mann was amazing. And I had known that she would be a great performer from the very first time I listened to Rift.
For full consistency, she opened the show with ‘It Only Hurts’ – the song that opens the album. This is one of the moments, both on album and on stage, where that sense of experience is so clear. Over a very simple guitar line, Clara’s vocals are clear, measured, and beautiful – a sense of sadness and hurt presented in the way her voice breaks slightly on the chorus. She is backed up on stage by just one other musician (whose name has sadly left my head); throughout the set he accompanies her on strings, banjo, and guitar and they have a wonderful chemistry which makes the interludes between songs enjoyable, too.
From ‘It Only Hurts’ onwards, the order of the album changes. ‘Rift’, probably the best song on the album, comes next. I’ve settled into the fact that Clara isn’t 53 by now, and can just simply marvel at the control she has over the tone and emotion in her voice – there is something special in the way she presents the lines ‘twice you came home/And there was a rift/Opened in front of your door/Well you often get tired/And it’s mostly of me/But you carry me just like before.’ These words have been ringing in my head for weeks, and they come into even sharper focus on stage.
There are no moments where the quality drops, so I could go through the whole setlist with praise. But that would get boring. ‘Oranges’ is another early highlight, with one of the most uplifting choruses Clara presents to us. Later, there’s an absolute standout performance of ‘Stadiums’ – a song that most shows the uniqueness of this artist, and one which the audience listen to with rapt attention. And then a country cover wraps up the encore and we do, unfortunately, have to leave.
Introducing this review by expressing shock at Clara’s age may have felt disparaging. It wasn’t meant to be. It actually left me feeling even more excited about the career ahead of this artist, if this is an album and live show she can put out there already. It was a quiet, calm, but thrilling performance with two musicians flexing their skill on multiple instruments. And there in the centre was a lyrical storyteller putting all her emotions out there through her voice and words.
Words by Fran Slater
Picky Bastards 