Thea Gilmore - Avalanche

As a regular at folk festivals, in particular the renowned Cambridge Folk Festival, you start to recognise familiar faces floating around in the crowds. For example, the creepy skinny man with the long hair who has a big 5ft stick with a plaster skull on the top who appears EVERY year. But if you want to be a pro at celeb-spotting, just hang around the record stall and you'll be sure to spot the delightful Thea Gilmore at least half a dozen times throughout the weekend. I don't think I've ever seen any performer as obviously genuinely excited and pleased to be playing for an audience before. The Cambridge audience were in turn equally as chuffed to have such a fabulous performer opening the weekend for them.

After all, Thea Gilmore's indie folk-rock could hardly fail to get the audience's attention. There is very little to fault; the lyrics are intelligent, her slightly husky voice is strangely satisfying, the songs are cleverely constructed pop numbers with undeniably catchy choruses. The Independent called her "the most prolific and intelligent wordsmith of her generation." I suppose a critic could argue that Gilmore is hardly smashing through any boundaries into new realms of unexplored experimental music here, but her music does not lack any integrity. She may not be revolutionary but she certainly has the formula for a great song sussed. I recommend blasting this out of your car stereo when you're on the motorway, on the way to a really great folk festival, possibly to go Thea-spotting. And sing along. You know you want to.

Rags And Bones
Juliet (Keep That In Mind)

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