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Review: Jack Foley
IF YOU think Wire Daisies' lead singer, Treana Morris, sounds
great in album form, just wait until you catch her live.
At London's Borderline on Tuesday, October 5 (2004), she was
in sublime form, providing a perfect showcase of the band's rapidly
emerging talents as both songwriters and musicians of genuine
worth.
They may only have been the opening act of the evening, but the
reaction from the crowd at the end of their set spoke volumes,
as a chorus of whistles, screams and applause escorted them from
the stage.
The Cornish four-piece - who extended to six members for the
Borderline gig - have already been hailed as one of the 'unsigned
discoveries of 2003' by Music Week, and it can only be a matter
of time before they are playing to bigger crowds.
A tour in November should go some way to ensuring that this is
the case.
Opening with a new song, the band then proceeded to deliver 30
minutes of highlights from their current album, Just Another
Day, beginning with the achingly poignant Make Everything
Change, which feature Morris' vocals at their most yearning,
dream-like and addictive.
In live form, Morris actually cuts quite an unassuming figure,
standing just towards the front of the stage, clutching an acoustic
guitar, but the power of her voice is undeniable, and the effect
it had on the audience, quite visible.
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During the course of the gig, more
and more people moved from the back of the Borderline to the front,
as appreciation grew of the music they were hearing.
Everyman followed in quick succession, during which
the full range of Morris' sultry vocals was beautifully exposed,
soaring to some majestic heights during the chorus, before allowing
the drums of Steve Jackson to take centre-stage midway through.
The shimmering, piano-led Truth That Hurts followed,
providing yet another indication of the band's versatility, while
the brooding, slow-building Come Winter Time demonstrated
their ability to mix moments of enchanting melancholy with some
truly uplifting riffs (Alden Evans' guitars came alive during
this track).
The set was brought to a close by two other moments of brilliance
- new song, Morning Bell, about how life can change completely
in a short space of time (from getting up at noon, to being a
slave to the alarm clock), and the current single, Butterfly,
which packs as much power in live form, as it does when first
heard on the album. It probably featured Morris at her absolute
best.
The Borderline's intimate setting also went some way to providing
a fitting platform for the band's brilliance, yet if there is
any justice they won't be confined to such small venues for very
much longer.
I would urge you to catch them the next time they're in town,
and to rush out and buy the album. It remains one of the undiscovered
gems of the year.
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