There we were in the cosy, warm Folklore Rooms with its magical glade like stage set and its twinkling fairy lights.
Tallulah Rendall takes to the stage to announce Atton=Raon. She explains that this is the last night of the two-week tour celebrating the release of her seventh album ‘Only Human’. The album is a raw and cinematic exploration of what it means to live with an open heart in a world that often rewards disconnection. Blending alt-pop, electronic textures and organic instrumentation. There were 5 performers through the rest of the tour but two have gone back to Devon.
Atton=-Roan aka Sam Walker appears as a sophisticated ‘one-man band’. His hands spread across synth and keyboards and drum. His feet work the bass drum and cymbals
His voice is delightful with such a broad range. There’s a delicacy there as it soars up the register in ‘Sweetness Of The Gathering Night’. The next song ‘Modern Believers’ builds to an astonishing sustained wail with draws cheers of pleasure from the audience. We were invited to join in towards the end of the song which we all did wholeheartedly. In ‘Take Me Rising’ his voice starts in his higher register and ends with strong beats. The heavy beats continue through into ‘Sixer’ with more remarkable sustained vocal screams.
His set finishes with the mellow, melodic and beautiful love song ‘Waves’.
Walker has always been an astonishing performer with his ability to paint the most beautiful pictures with his songs.
He’ll be back soon with the full Atton=Raon. In Devon, they’ve constructed an immersive experience soon to hit the roads.
Tallulah Rendall (keys, acoustic guitar and vocals) takes to the stage with Sam Walker (drums and BVs) and David Curtis (double bass). Bird song heralds the first song . Expressive and full of joyous energy.
Bird song heralds the beginning of the first track ‘Bird In Flight’. She’s expressive and full of joyous energy, strength and power that is so all consuming that she has to catch her breath at the end.
Then we have ‘I’m Enough’ which is a true cry from the heart. The double bass is a lovely throaty tone in this song. Rendall’s exquisite vocal soars and dips like a bird on the wind.
The 3rd song ‘Run’ has a moody start with a delicious drum and double bass. The song inhabits her.
Then we have ‘Human’, the first track on the new album, which is again an introspective piece. “I’m only human and I fall” she intones.
Following on we are treated to the joyous ‘Carries Me Home’, a celebration of nature, love and the world.
‘Brave’ kind of sums Rendall up despite it being an old song. It’s a song of holding on through the lows of life.
The 7th song ‘I Belong’ is anthemic and rocks out a cry of getting to the joy of life, after 47 years of finally feeling she belongs.
‘Masks’ is a love song for the singer and celebrates the trust of being in an honest, loving relationship where “my mask can fall into your arms”
The penultimate song ‘Radiate’ take us from a gentle delivery to a foot stamping, vocally soaring celebration of life.
What a way to finish the set; hair flying wildly whole body consumed with ‘Shame’.
We had a lot of fun on the way “David give me a pluck” from the sound engineer trying to solve a problem with the double bass and a “domestic” about how they’re going to start a song. The singalongs with some of the tracks was engaging as well as joyous. It felt like family and seeing as the album has grown from Tallulah writing the songs alone to picking up great artists in Devon to complete her work I think that she’d like that.
Tallulah Rendall
“A soaring and mesmerising vocal presence” – James Blake
Atton=Raon
“Moving, in so many ways. A thing of beauty” – Clash Magazine
