SAM TOMLINS + ARJUN NALA + VINCENT BURNS – THE FOLKLORE ROOMS, BRIGHTON 1.3.24
Amidst the freezing cold rain and hail that has been striking across Sussex on Friday resides a beacon of soulful sunshine in the beloved Folklore Rooms in Brighton, just down the road from The Hope & Ruin. Possibly my favourite venue down here, I have, surprisingly, played reviewing host to The Folklore Rooms to only one show, where I caught a Bella Union showcase fronted by Jack Kenworthy’s Colouring project. This time around, however, I am catching the blissful and heartfelt music of Sam Tomlins. Based between Lancashire and Brighton, Sam Tomlins has enjoyed notoriety on BBC Introducing performances and intimate live shows across his two main bases, employing a distinctive style of neo-soul, with jazz-tinged influences and introspective songwriting that culminated in the release of his debut single ‘Unfold’, which dropped this last July. Following the release of two follow-up singles, ‘Our Way’ and ‘Lose It’, Sam strengthens his sound with his debut EP ‘Lotus’ hitting major streaming services on Friday. I have close admirations with Sam, having been in close proximity with him during my studies at WaterBear College of Music and watching him blossom in his songwriting prowess and live performances, from his loop-pedal based jazz lounge aura to here in his debut show with a live band comprising of drummer Joe Hall and bassist Pedro Silva backing him on guitar.
Opening the show for Sam is Vincent Burns, a local 23-year-old singer-songwriter who has spent his young adult life in several musical bands and projects, now operating towards the craft of his own solo voice. Sitting on a wooden stool, armed only with a left-handed acoustic guitar, he quietly welcomes the crowd to the show with a stellar choice for an opening cover: Sampha’s ‘Plastic 100°C’. Possibly my favourite song by the neo-soul legend, Vincent journeys through his rendition in a smooth and effortless fashion through fingerpicking guitar patterns and a vocal tone that glides across incredible waves. Vincent graces us with another cover to follow up, this time of Joan Armatrading’s ‘Love And Affection’. Here, he provides a stunning falsetto that reminds me a lot of James Blake, but in a more vulnerable and intimate atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, the quiet and attentive audience Vincent croons towards blesses him with ecstatic applause and cheering, completely overwhelming that aforementioned intimacy! The final two tracks in this relatively short set are both originals of Vincent; the first of which, ‘Blood Stains’ features some very sophisticated chord work with the opening lyric “I’m not your mistake” forming the mood of the song instantly with a direct and unfeigned approach. The closing ‘As You Walk Away’ is more rhythmically upbeat compared to the rest of the set with a Tom Misch-esque groove that sits under the somewhat loose quality of Vincent’s voice; like being sung to in the middle of the night over candlelight…!
Vincent Burns:
Vincent Burns – acoustic guitar, vocals
Vincent Burns setlist:
‘Blood Stains’
‘As You Walk Away’
‘Plastic 100°C’ (Sampha cover)
‘Love And Affection’ (Joan Armatrading cover)
‘All Apologies’ (Nirvana cover)
Conversation amongst the audience starts to warm up as Vincent departs with many approaching him in congratulations of a fantastic start to the night. Bridging the gap between him and Sam’s sets is the Sri-Lankan born and Brighton-based Arjun Nala. Singing for over 15 years, Arjun has been journeying his artistry for the last couple of years through realms of funk, jazz and soul. Now, he has been a name I’ve caught floating around Brighton in recent months but have never had the pleasure of experiencing live… until now. Opening with his song ‘Baby You Look So Blue’, the chord progression of which reminds me a lot of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’, Arjun provides a very conversational direction with his vocals, giving the feeling of floating across the stars with your partner. ‘So Far Away’ sees the audience as their quietest, with all the space in the world for a pin to drop. Arjun’s soft picked guitar pattern sits underneath a vocal delivery that completely captivates me, as does his stunning scatting that closes the song out! The next track, ‘Stoned Again’ sees more of a bite in Arjun’s guitar chords, which progresses in a very free and loose rhythm before transmuting into syncopated swagger in the song’s bridges. My favourite track of the five-song set, ‘Paper Kites’ takes a folkier approach in melody and songwriting, still complete with his lovely crooning. This track, in its mood and beauty, is enough to move anyone to tears and I now wait patiently for its release! Talking of release, the closing track ‘Energy’ is Arjun’s only current single on Spotify; the song, like pretty much every song before it, has stellar direction and pace throughout with a clear attention to groove and vocal dynamics!
Arjun Nala:
Arjun Nala – acoustic guitar, vocals
Arjun Nala setlist:
‘Baby You Look So Blue’
‘So Far Away’
‘Stoned Again’
‘Paper Kites’
‘Energy’
Sam Tomlins and his two musical cohorts take to the stage to close the night out, beginning with an opening backing track of sound collage and ambience before heading straight into the interlocking grooves of ‘Our Way’, a song that gives off an odd fusion of Tom Misch covering an alt-J song. ‘Lose It’ is introduced as a track about existential dread, and the three-piece play around it with natural fluidity with Pedro’s basslines switching between ever-changing motifs and static notes across the verses. Sam even flexes his jazz leanings with a stellar guitar solo in the track’s bridge-based comedown. ‘Let It Go’ features a dreamier introduction to the two previous cuts, with more chorus-heavy guitars and a propulsion that feels less party-intense, leaving Sam, Pedro and Joe to indulge in their own musical conversation that is a joy to watch! Joe and Pedro sit out for the interluding ‘Sane Dreams’ leaving Sam to croon over a glitchy electronic backing track that works as a nice breather in the set! The set transitions slowly into the track ‘Blue Roll’ featuring Brighton rapper and AudioActive-championed artist Snotta on guest vocals, providing a loose, yet direct flow over some chilled hip hop beats. The third-to-last track in the set, ‘Love It Too Much’ sees Joe and Pedro jam by themselves for a spell, in a great trajectory in returning to full band dynamics. This song creates an unexplainably sleazy atmosphere but wins the crowd’s attention with magnificent musicianship and Sam’s breathy falsetto vocals. ‘Far Cry’ forms a world of jazzy garage (or “jarage” as the audience refers to it as), not unlike that of a ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’-era The 1975, with Pedro anchoring some soft bass underneath.
Sam, Joe and Pedro close out the set with the closing track on the ‘Lotus’ EP, ‘Sundown’ after making a quip to the audience: “if you came here to see Sam Tompkins… I’m so sorry!”. This track works in a salsa-based groove with very flexible guitar work from Sam where he switches between noodling and chord work in a split second! This is also a great point in the set for Pedro to take a bass solo, exciting the crowd to no end! The gorgeous production work in the backing track is a joy to experience live too with these clustering harmonies of Sam’s multi-tracked voice soothing the brain while moving the body simultaneously. The band begins to pack down… but, wait! Cries of an encore are answered with Sam’s debut single ‘Unfold’, possibly my favourite track of Sam’s released so far with a beautifully natural soundscape. Joe’s tight drum grooves and Pedro’s slick basslines paint a very Jamiroquai-esque backdrop for Sam to display the song’s catchy chorus line. Sam gives warm thanks to the crowd as he steps off the stage for the night, taking everybody in the crowd from neutrality to ecstasy in the matter of 35 minutes! I still constantly admire Sam’s creativity and open-minded approach to songcrafting and performance and now a debut EP of his is finally blessed unto the world, one can only imagine the staggering progressive journey he is sure to venture forth on.
Sam Tomlins:
Sam Tomlins – electric guitar, vocals
Pedro Silva – bass
Joe Hall – drums
Sam Tomlins setlist:
‘Our Way’
‘Lose It’
‘Let It Go’
‘Sane Dreams’
‘Blue Roll’ (feat. Snotta)
‘Love It Too Much’
‘Far Cry’
‘Sundown’
(encore)
‘Unfold’
Amazing review of these three young talents ! Vincent Burns sounds like one to watch …