Frontwoman to Hejira, who honour and celebrate the music of Joni Mitchell, with several EPs under her belt, as well as the experience of all kinds of big festivals (Glastonbury, Field Day, Wilderness, Secret Garden Party, Cambridge Folk Festival, Latitude…) Hattie Whitehead has now released a debut solo album, ‘Bloom’. She launched it in the intimate Folklore Rooms in Brighton on Tuesday.
Opening with an acoustic number not from the album, ‘Mechanism’, the first impression was one of the raw, classic elegance of Whitehead’s vocals. The likes of Joni Mitchell (of course) and Nick Drake are stated as influences, and can be heard clearly throughout. But it was actually Karen Carpenter that came to mind: Whitehead certainly had that rare quality of a voice somehow embodying both a sweet lightness and rich depth that really pierces through defences.
The album deals with complex human experiences, from the grief of losing a parent, to mental health struggles, to the disappointment in the current political landscape and lack of human empathy. But the songwriting is also very forward-looking, infused with hope and joy. And it was these that really came across during the live gig in a way that pleasantly surprised. From songs such as the gentle ‘Distance’ to the soul-searching ‘Alive’ and the more upbeat ‘Valentine’, the many co-existing emotions and experiences of life came through in this gentle storytelling.
Whitehead has a very relaxed, amenable stage presence and the love for the music and for performing shone through and really elevated the listening experience. The band (Alex Haines – guitar, Rupert Cox – keyboard, Loz Garratt – bass, and Peter Adam Hill – drums) was also great, with an impressively balanced sound. Each note and harmony felt purposeful and no one gave into the temptation to fill in the magical spaciousness of the music. Afterwards, Whitehead revealed that not only had the band line-up never performed together before, they’d only had one 4-hour rehearsal prior to the gig. Testament to their excellent musicianship, but also the quality of the music.
The closing encore, second of the night, was written for Whitehead’s youngest brother: ‘Last to Come Along’. It was the song that inspired the title of the album ‘Bloom’. The song summed up the sentiment of the album, weaving lyrics about accepting and recognising your past while looking to forge ahead and figure out who you are and what your future may look like: “What’s over the ground is a life that is new / But without the branches, the roots – there’s no bloom.”
Whitehead was supported by local singer-songwriter Ochre, who stepped in at the very last minute and did an impressive job with haunting, deceptively soft vocals weaving stories of yearning and loss.
