aaamusic | On 02, Aug 2010

London, 26th July

Having previously been forced to cancel various UK tour dates (damn you, volcanic ash!), Holly Miranda finally made it to Borderline this week to promote her first official solo album, The Magician’s Private Library. Those unfamiliar with the singer may otherwise know her as the front woman of indie band The Jealous Girlfriends (currently on hiatus). However, Holly’s solo sound is significantly different from that of her former band – produced by Dave Sitek, her debut album is a beautiful dreamscape of hazy, ethereal sound – a sound that thankfully transfers perfectly from record to stage.

Miranda opened with No One Just Is, a perfect example of the aforementioned haziness – at times the audience almost seemed to be thrown into a trance by the singer. What is particularly interesting about Miranda’s live performances is her tendency to re-vamp most if not all of her songs for the stage. This is partly due to the technical difficulty of performing tracks exactly as they appear on the record – the album features keyboards, horns, violins and more; there’s just not enough room on the stage for it all. At the same time though, the originality of the newly imagined versions of studio songs suggests Miranda has an open-mind, and certainly imagination when it comes to live performances.

As well as playing various recorded tracks (Sleep On Fire, Waves, Singular Acceptance), Miranda also showcased a few as of yet unreleased songs. Most moving was Pelican Rapids, which begins slowly and almost hymn-like, building into an explosion of sound. While most of The Magician’s Private Library isn’t exactly head-banging material, this coupled with those faster, louder re-imaginings of studio songs proves Holly Miranda isn’t just a one trick pony – she can do energetic just as well as she does introspection.

Original tracks such as Slow Burn Treason went hand-in-hand with a couple of covers – Nobody Sees Me Like You Do (Yoko Ono) and I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James). Fans will recognize the former as being the bonus track on Miranda’s single, Forest Green Oh Forest Green, while I’d Rather Go Blind simply showcased the more powerful, sultry side of Miranda’s vocals.

The set ended all too soon, with my personal favourite track, Joints. What impressed me most was the unique feel of the gig – though on the surface it was just another date on the tour, it really didn’t feel like it; it was intimate and genuinely enjoyable. It’s no surprise that Holly Miranda is enjoying critical acclaim – she deserves it. And if you don’t trust critics, ask the fans: members of The XX were in the audience too – and they know what makes good music. Holly’s very talented guitarist Tim Mislock deserves a mention too; I recommend checking out his solo project, Abandoned Lighthouse. This gig was excellent, proving Miranda has mastered both the studio and the stage.

Author: Katharine Sparks