Phosphorescent a.k.a Matthew Houck and his incredibly talented (and suitably hairy) backing band stroll out in front of a nicely full Workman’s Club. And they play interesting, well assembled songs with panache for over an hour and a half. Written like that it sounds unremarkable, but this gig was remarkable. Enjoyable from start to finish. It had moments of joy, of excitement, of comfort, of experimentation, of wildness, of humour. It had as much as anyone could, or should, expect from a gig.
Houck’s lyrics are intelligent and frequently poignant. A trick plenty of songwriters can pull off. But sometimes singer-songwriters become a little precious about the lyrics, stripping away everything so it becomes just a glorified poetry reading. Enjoyable its own way but rarely exciting. Houck goes in the opposite direction. The music is the key here. Lyrics can be interpreted in the comfort of your own home.
After some enjoyably rocky opening numbers they segue into a few Willy Nelson covers, ‘Reasons to Quit’ the highlight, just country-tinged enough without encouraging line-dancing (despite my friend’s boasts of her line-dancing prowess).
A solo set showcased more of Houck’s inventiveness. The looped vocals/howls on Wolves were ingenious. A shout out for requests got an immediate response (“This is a long one so it’s that girl’s fault”). And it sounded like the Alabama born musician would be happy to play all night until someone informed him that mightn’t be possible.
The encore reached new heights again. ‘Joe Tex, These Taming Blues’ from Aw Come Aw Wry and ‘Los Angeles’ the last song from his most recent album ‘Here’s to Taking it Easy.’ Two proper long jams complete with introductions for the band.
Always enjoyable, from the make-it-look-easy guitar to the precise drumming to the ecstatic hammering of the piano. And that’s without mentioning Houck’s Dylan-esque (but actually reliable) drawl.
A couple of guys beside us had seen Phosphorescent at Primavera the previous week and declared him one of the best performers at the festival. A big claim given the line-up down in Spain. But on this showing a fair one. Keep an eye out for him, it may be a while until he returns to these parts but it’s worth catching him when he does.