Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan
make up the LA indie-folk duo The Milk Carton
kids, who recently came on a jaunt to the UK to play at the atmospheric Union
Chapel in London. Naturally the style of music has drawn comparisons to the
likes of Simon & Garfunkel, which the band acknowledges (… “no one wants to
be Garfunkel…” Pattengale sighs). This
type of comparison, as well as my prior listening to the wonderfully skilled
yet somewhat over-perfect studio recordings, meant that my expectations weren’t
exactly sky high as I made my way into the upper tier of the cavernous venue.
The challenge was set for them to win me over, which they ultimately did.
It’s not unusual to be played
raucous lo-fi punk, or perhaps experimental industrial electro by a friend and
then be told on revelation of a nonplussed facial expression that “really
you’ve got to see it live” in a grimy pub, or a grimy warehouse, to really appreciate it.
However, one doesn’t often associate this kind of thing with acoustic music,
which basically sounds the same wherever you hear it, and in whatever
context. Tonight is an exception though. The venue, infused as it is with
spiritual significance as well as possessing amazing natural reverb and
acoustics acts as an invisible third member of the group. With soft light bathing
both the stage and the ceiling, sight and sound come at you from all angles in
perfect cohesion. The true talent behind the pin-point vocal harmonies and
finger-picked guitar work shines out. Usually I’m all for a bit of rough around
the edges, adding a human element to any
performance, but in this case the synchronicity between the two men is
entrancing.
Stand out tracks include fan
favourite ‘Monterey’ and the track written about Joey’s as yet unconceived
daughter ‘Charlie’. The playful topic of the latter (“we’ve been playing this
for 4 years now”) highlights another unexpected positive of the night (for me, as an uninitiated at least)- they
are really funny. In fact about as much weight as is put on the songs is put on
stand-up routines in between tracks. Extended musings on child-birth, cats and
crappy tours draw great laughs from the audience, and are skits any
professional comedian would be proud of.
So, for an hour and a half I find
myself transfixed by these two guys performing a kind of music I’d never really
considered myself a fan of. And to be honest, I still wouldn’t consider it. I
haven’t rushed out to buy Milk Carton Kids records (or rather, listen to them on
Spotify) but I would definitely take notice for the next time they come to
perform near me as I now know it would a night filled with calm transcendental
music and charisma. The closing cover of Pink Floyds ‘Wish You Were Here’ is a
beautiful moment, and after the closing notes echo into the dark corners of the
chapel, the audience rise to give two genuine music men a deserved standing
ovation.
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