And it as if we had never left… 

…we’re sitting on the floor of Conway Hall, we’re happy, Adem is amongst us, singing “God Only Knows”, and we’re wondering what time would be best to fit in some falafel. Adem is but an entree to the day proper which begins with…

One Little Plane: Pleased to see that Kieran Hebden wasn’t just hear to hang out all weekend, but to add some guitar under Kathyrn Bint’s breathy Hope Sandoval-like vocals.  He fluffed a couple of lines earlier, but the last track featured him playing some neat reverberating tones, so we can probably forgive him.  One to watch.

Baby Dee: Astonishing.  Styled in a hurricane, with a voice veering from Antony to Scott Walker to Nina Simone, playing harp and accordion, Baby Dee damn near moved me to tears.  Plays with Current 93, plays with Marc Almond, plays with soul, passion and no thought whatsoever for convention.  The best thing I heard all weekend, and the best live performance I’ve seen all year.

Death Vessel: Well, follow that nice looking long-haired guitar playing man!  With the least appropriate name on display all weekend.  Death Vessel?  Nice, well presented barge, more like.  Neat guitar playing, improbably high voice, it took me so long to get over Baby Dee that it was only by the last couple of songs that I began to notice he was actually quite good.  Although others who had missed Baby Dee told me those two were actually the best songs, so be careful.

Basia Bulat: Recovered well from an illness which caused her to miss a show in Leeds the night before, Basia was very pleasant, if not the most exciting proposition.  A few nice moments where her string section put down their instruments and joined in some harmony vocals and hand-clapping though (note that all songs with hand clapping in them benefit from an instant uprating).

Thee Stranded Horse: Today’s other great act.  A kora player, of all things.  Very dextrous, at times playing guitar with his right hand and kora with his left.  OK, he may not be Toumani Diabate, but only one person is as far as I know, and for attempting to take this instrument and find it a place in more Western forms, he is to be (and was) applauded.  A big recommendation. 

Emily Haines: I think there was possibly too much of this kind of pretty girl/caustic lyric thing over the two days - no fault of Emily Haines, but I was becoming a bit jaded and in need of reinvigoration.  The cameramen may have loved her, but I took my much-needed falafel break here.

Richard Swift: I didn’t find the reinvigoration here, with his bouncy Beatles/Todd Rundgren piano-driven melodies…

…so I headed to the bar where I saw Michael Andrews engaging in a guitar/big glasses duet.  Although at times it felt like I had stepped into a private party, with the way instruments were passed around those sitting near the front, I was won over by some nice acoustic and harmonic stylings.  Just what I needed.

Andrew Bird:  See yesterday’s remarks about the seemingly unstoppable violin revival.  Looping violin like Final Fantasy at last year’s Homefires, and adding some well-observed lyrics (I enjoyed the relationship strife “Why are you doing that?”/”I’m doing nothing”/”Why are you doing nothing?” one) and some Morricone-esque whistling.  Another winner.

Bat For Lashes: People love Bat For Lashes, and I can see why.  They (She?  Band?  Woman?  Confused) mak me wonder what would have happened if June Tyson from the Arkestra had joined the Slits.  Glitter and kettle drums.  Good value.  Good night.

Pictures are all on the flickr