Keep politics out of music, some say. However, some might suggest we chuck art into the equation.
Well-connected Edinburgh promoter Tracer Trails has pulled off another coup, bringing cult comic artist Jeffrey Lewis and his extended family to town, to share their brand of slightly shambolic but very astute folk-punk with a sellout audience. Lewis, who is joined by brother Jack on bass and regular Jitters drummer David Beauchamp, takes centre-stage, but comes across as unassuming and charming. His New York half-spoken NY drawl comes across a little like Lou Reed, while backing vocals from Helen Schreiner sound like Linda out of Ted Danson’s Bronx-set sitcom (does no-one else watch ‘Becker’?)
Lewis may be primarily a cartoonist but he’s also happy to instruct his audience in a bit of world affairs including ‘The Complete History of Commnism Part 4’, which covers China and comes complete with instructional slideshow while the band supply an atmospheric backing including Lewis getting a dirtier guitar sound than anyone has any right to expect and some freakish keyboard sounds reminiscent of old industrial act This Heat (this will mean as much as the Becker reference for the average reader, I’m quite sure).
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