“It’s like being in my living room”, says Jodie Marie. And the audience quietly agree. Last time I was at The Tin Shed, the Spring sun was streaming through the windows from the green hillside: the perfect accompaniment to Ellie Gowers. Tonight, in mid-December, it’s a different story. The black night coats the glass to hem in an attentive crowd who are warmed not only by the fire but the soulful sound of Jodie Marie’s voice.
It is the perfect setting for the Pembrokeshire singer-songwriter to share songs off her EP ‘Polar Night’. For her experience close to the Arctic Circle earlier in the year translates well in this cozy atmosphere, sheltered from the Welsh rain and the chill of a winter wind. For all we know, there could very well be a storm raging outside like the ones she contended with in Seiland, such is the way she draws our listening ears into attendant concentration. Perhaps it is the solo nature of this show that lends that extra focus: a generous need for those in the room to be cautious as every squeak of a seat, rub of a coat, and click of the keys on her keyboard can be heard. Appreciative, if nothing else, best sums up the silent response.
What this quiet space allows is for the emotions contained in Jodie Marie’s songs to settle gently. ‘Carageen’, ‘Reindeer Heart’, and ‘Blue Hour’ ring out with more acute meaning than they might do elsewhere, the latter becoming a beautiful tribute on this occasion to one recently lost. Even ‘This House’ and ‘You are My Life’ keep their rockier edges but punch softer through the air with an accuracy that helps inform their depth of feeling. One particular highlight is her cover of ‘Angel from Montgomery’, capturing the same essence as her Blues-influence Bonnie Raitt while the accompanying keyboard fleshes out its sense of longing far more intensely than Raitt’s guitar.
She finishes with the obligatory Christmas song for this time of year. One rarely heard live. The bilingual ‘Night Before Christmas / Noson Cyn y Nadolig’ provides one last flurry of musical snow, falling with the same compelling notes that have transfixed this audience throughout. No wonder she wants to come back. This may only be my second gig at The Tin Shed but it already feels like a special place to hear live music because it allows you to really hear it. And when the one performing is Jodie Marie, it also turns it into an early Christmas present for a fan like me.
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Featured Image (C) Jodie Marie
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