Walking into the Academy, the aspect of reviewing this gig was daunting to say the least. Hugely daunting. Thankfully, I was only reviewing the support band because The National were headlining and they might’ve just made one of the best albums of the year. Not so thankfully however, Phosphorescent’s Here’s To Taking It Easy album also features very highly in my top 10 or whatever albums of the year list.
Starting with undoubtedly the fastest and most accessible song of the night ‘It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)’, Matthew Houck stood with his trucker’s cap covering most of his face, avoiding all eye contact. Very soon though, it would quickly move into Bonnie Prince Billy territory (or even Scotland’s own Withered Hand) which for some moved into not-long-until-the-headliner-shuffling. The appeal might’ve quickly faded for a few, while for others, hearing ‘Nothing Was Stolen (Loving Me Foolishly)’ offered a warming heart-strung acoustic ballad of intimacy in an otherwise very large and very sold out venue. ‘Wolves’, from the Pride album, probably one of the longest mainstays on the bands setlist, tugged at the sweet beauty of sadness while welcoming ‘Los Angeles’ with “This is about a city. It’s a warm city,” was about as alt-country as an evening drinking beers with Wilco, which is no bad thing, as people continued to be rooted to the spot, soaking in the lost love and tenderness of ‘Mermaid Parade’. Supporting The National was never going to be an easy gig for anyone, but with Phosphorescent, they’re probably one of the best support artists that Glasgow has seen this year. About as sweeping and as grand as true Americana gets. And how gorgeous is that?