Live Review: Sofar Sounds- The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick 07/04/15
Kicking off the first of three nights at The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick, electronic-duo Ivy and Gold take to the stage… minus footwear. All eyes are on barefooted singer Rachel Wilkinson, a vision of Ivy and Gold, and beat master Jamie Davis. Launching straight into their opening song, we’re met with seismic beats, scaling melodies and sirenic wails. The best way to describe Ivy and Gold is an electronic London Grammar with a darker hue. As the duo makes their way through a sublime set of old and new (stand out track is Bullets), it’s clear Wilkinson’s soaring soprano coupled with Davis’s euphoric arrangements is a winning combination.Â
Next up is Yorkshire man Tom E. Morris, otherwise known as the lead singer of Her Name Is Calla. Back by popular demand, he has not once, but twice graced the Sofar Sounds stage and it’s not hard to see why. Carrying us from the softest of croons to the most cathartic of belts, Morris’s staggeringly emotive voice is one that lends itself perfectly to the acoustics of tonight’s barn-like theatre; it is rooms like this that are made for voices like his. With the addition of his endearingly honest stage talk and stunning cover of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill, Tom delivered yet another unforgettable set.
Closing the night is futuristic pop artist SAKIMA. The dark, scrawny six-foot-something Isaac Sakima has a distinctive presence before he’s even opened his mouth. With the slightly unconventional accompaniment of Sax, Synth and Guitar, there’s a unanimous sense of curiosity in the room to hear what they have to offer, and rightfully so. The combination of SAKIMA’s unique sultry tone and the bands’ dark soundscape are hypnotic yes, but it’s not just the music that holds the magnetism. Jerking around the stage like a man possessed, it is impossible to take your eyes off SAKIMA.
