Ward Thomas bring fresh Friday Folk – Review | Music | Entertainment

The twin sisters Catherine and Lizzie have been hailed as England’s first country stars, and they have the first album by a UK country act to reach number one on the chart. Second song Don’t Be A Stranger shows a clear chemistry between the sisters as they sing the opening lines ‘Summer days and endless nights, Talking ’til the sun would rise’ in glorious harmony. Following song Guilty Flowers resonates with its theme of relationship struggles ‘Who was I thinking I could be somebody different?’ sung with a hugely anthemic pull, a spirited statement song that has the audience clapping along and shows off the vocal ability of both singers.

Sixth song Its Not Just Me has a candid depth and clever word play, the lyrics ‘I’m just trying to keep on trying, but I’m stumbling in the dark’ delivered with raw feeling.

Cartwheels they tell the crowd was written in Nashville, where they write a lot of their songs, its deep South country guitar edge coming through beautifully.

Shortly after Catherine jokes to a giddy crowd “In case any of you wondered why I’m looking progressively like Johnny Cash! I’m not sure if my boy is going to be loud or quiet – maybe loud because he’s been around drums constantly” and excitedly reveals she is “9 months pregnant in a week!” which is met with a gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Musing on her baby being a boy she teases “Apparently boys mess with your house, girls mess with your head!”, again getting a good laugh. Safe has a sentiment of belonging in the words ‘This is not your war to fight, You are safe here’.

The pair deliberately create a long, pregnant pause of silence in the middle of Hold Space before playing again, of which Lizzie adds, expertly timed for comic effect “Every time I try and hold space for as long as possible, until there’s nervous laughter!”

A rousing cover of Razorlight’s America follows, which is a huge hit, a hyped up crowd singing back every word in a euphoric moment.

The mandolin is a great addition to Justice and Mercy, highly strung to mirror the upright edgy sentiment of the song, bringing in main support Charlie Worsham for a mandolin masterclass as well as an amazing electric guitar solo from the duo’s band mate.

They describe how their 5th album Music in the Madness was written when the whole world had gone mad in the last year or so.

Their punchy I Think I Hate You is packs a punch, a song they tell the audience tonight is about the joy of admitting I hate you.

The genius lyric ‘If we never met again it would be too soon’ again showcases their lyric prowess, as well as the brilliant line ‘I kill you with kindness but you’re dead inside’.

Someday is emphatic and has the crowd dancing, getting up from their seats and getting lost in the moment, with the brilliant I Believe In You swiftly following, topping of a fantastic night of heartfelt folk.

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