Withered Hand (w/ Eagleowl, Meaursault & Woodpigeon) @ Queens Hall, Thurs 25th
There’s not likely an artist based Edinburgh this month that deserves an showpiece Festival gig more than Withered Hand’s Dan Wilson. Having spent over a decade in the Capital furrowing his talent from a spectrum of varied support slots with the (now split) indie outfit Peanut to promoting memorable gigs of his own, such as Willy Mason’s mesmerising acoustic show at The Roxy Art House last September.
In between doing all things arty and awesome, Mr Wilson has recorded an EP (or two!) and has been touring 2009’s album ‘Good News’ to good effect after a burst of critical acclaim and high profile airplay. This all snowballed into a jaunt across the Atlantic for SXSW and further touring in March, which led to a well petitioned and publicised Visa wrangle, a focal point of the BBC’s Scotland Rocks at South by Southwest.
Oh aye, the music itself? Fragile, chaotically honest lyrics delivered on the back of sugar plum strum along indie that doesn’t sound an ounce like anything Scotland has spewed onto the scene over the last decade. His stripped vocals are equally fish clenching on speedy numbers (‘New Dawn‘ and ‘Joy‘ ) and hand holding on the sombre twee waltzes (‘Religious Songs‘ and ‘No Cigarettes‘).
One of the most earnest things behind Withered Hand is the varied number of willing compatriots, from the recording process to the live performances a slew of Edinburgh musicians have quite literally lent a hand – and fittingly form the support bill for Thursday night.
Solo performances from local Neil Pennycook (Meursault) and a rare visit from former Embra resident, Canada’s Woodpiegon, will be topped with the folk whirlwind of Eagleowl make a good three hours of toasting some of the sweetest sounds the city has produced in recent years, in arguably the tastiest acoustics in town at The Queens Hall. All for a tenner! You’d be lucky to see an hour of semi-coherent comedy for that tax this month.