Project Description

MARISSA PINTO

+ Ryan Cramp + Joe McKelvie + TJ Taylor

@ Leadbelly

11/4/18

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Robert Farnan

Marissa Pinto of Winters End returned to the stage with new music, new friends and a new format to promote her band’s upcoming album, ‘DreamWalker’.

In Newtown on Wednesday night for Leadbelly Bar’s seventh “In the Round” session, Pinto hosted a combined sixteen individual performances by herself, Ryan Cramp, TJ Taylor and Joe McKelvie. This format had each artist perform a song and discuss it followed by the same process from the next in line.

An exploration of the aftereffects to broken relationships, feelings of isolated anguish filled the room to throbbing levels of heartache that resounded from the synth chords of Pinto’s electric guitar when she sampled the songs ‘Safe’ and ‘Polyfiller’ from Winters End’s upcoming album.

Pinto’s pioneered genre, self-styled ‘Cloud Pop,’ was aptly named, as it regularly and urgently suffocated the room in restrained, and sometimes raw, pain. Her electric guitar generated ambient, soulful sounds that appropriately offset her lyrical turmoil.

The three support acts all played acoustics, and it must be said that the Canadian, Joe McKelvie, absolutely stole the show. His versatile voice complimented the subtlety of his guitar work. His untitled song of nostalgia for his hometown was the highlight of the evening for, on McKelvie’s urging, the other three joined in, playing the chords as the the homesick tune burst throughout the venue.

Ryan Cramp, lead singer of punk-rock band Hatakaze, sang with angst and with a voice designed to energise and rock pubs. Alas, his voice was too powerful for the venue and often cast shade on his acoustic work. He would be better suited to big venues, a backing band and a rowdy audience.

The best guitar work also came from the Canadian in a brief stint away from the repetition of chords, as well as TJ Taylor, whose folksy chord progressions and catchy hooks made for an enjoyable performance.

“There’s different music for different times,”

McKelvie said at one point throughout the evening. This applied well to the versatility of the gig, though not entirely complimentary.

The melodies of McKelvie and TJ Taylor were often at odds with the angst of Cramp and the ambience of Pinto. The next in line approach meant that the transition between songs was abrupt as McKelvie’s soulful tunes were supplanted by the aggressive vocals of Cramp.

A little bit of fiddling with the format should make similar events smoother, but at the end of the day, the gig imbued a keen anticipation for the release of Winters End’s ‘DreamWalker’ EP.