Were there any other 'catters at the Chase Folk Club? If not, you missed a treat. Isambarde hadn't gigged for about a month, and it showed...in the sense that the performance was fresh, exciting and demonstrated how much this band enjoys performing together.
Drawing on material from their first two albums, Isambarde played two sparkling sets. Chris's driving guitar style really propelled the songs along, and the interplay between Emily's fiddle and Jude's snakey oboe lines was always engaging for the listener; the arrangements are a real strength of this band.
Vocally they were as strong as ever; the harmonies I would describe as 'traditional with a twist'. They don't always go where you would expect, and are the more interesting for that. There were a couple of 'goosebump' moments for me, especially during Emily's delivery of 'Farewell, Farewell' and The Unquiet Grave'. Jude; you need to sing more, you have a fine voice!
Really looking forward to hearing the 'big band' experiment at Bedworth. Go and see/book this band if you can, while they are still cheap! (Sorry Chris, I meant 'inexpensive').
Tim