So great to have Laura Cantrell back in the UK after an absence of more than seven years. She performed a mix of songs from her latest album - Just Like A Rose - a thing of great beauty, and some classic tracks from her debut album Not The Tremblin' Kind which had its 20th anniversary in 2020. Just Like A Rose was intended to be a celebration of that 20th anniversary, but the COVID pandemic delayed that process by a couple of years. It was reassuring to see a sold out venue at the Hen & Chicken for Laura's return to live performance. She was ably supported by a trio of fine musicians on strings, and the evening passed all too quickly as she ran through her 90 minutes set. Thankfully the sound balanced perfectly captured her bright vocals and the clarity of the instruments. The audience didn't want to let her go at the end, and she stayed for an impromptu encore that tested her memory for the lyrics. This gig really showed up the strength of her new writing, as the songs from Just Like A Rose stood shoulder to shoulder with those from that exceptional debut album. I just hope we don't have to wait another seven years before she returns. But Laura Cantrell has always been about quality over quantity. A mention for the support act, Doug Levitt, and his songs about experiences travelling on the Greyhound buses of the USA. His stories of life on the road were very entertaining.

Fuckin A.