Tami Neilson – The Tuning Fork
Silver Scroll winner Tami Neilson bursts onto stage in a sparkling gold wiggle dress, her hair piled in a high beehive and her rhinestone earrings gleaming under the coloured lights. She stands in front of four male musicians, each dressed in their best suits as though auditioning to be her prom date.
They are gathered here to release Tami’s fifth solo album, Don’t be Afraid.Like eleven vintage gowns being drawn from a glory box, each song from the album has its own distinct style, but the collection is unified by the sensibilities of times past.
The set opens with the title song, a soulful number that evokes Sharon Jones. The next track, So Far Away, is a catchy rock n roll tune laid over a tight bass riff.
Tami’s from a musical family, and the third song, Lonely, has quite a story behind it. Her father Ron started writing it back in 1972, but Tami and her brother only discovered it after he passed away. They finished the song together, and it’s a sweet number with a subtle nod to doo-wop.
Opening act Hopetoun Brown is invited back to the stage for backing vocal duties on gospel song Bury My Body, a roof-raising rabble-rouser that moves members of the crowd to cry out as though they’re in a Pentecostal church.
They also add some sax appeal to Loco Mama, a feisty number with a Latino beat. Tami showcases her vocal chops on Heavy Heart, a pretty song with a hint of yodel, and then goes full throttle country on the rest of the songs – lap steel and violin to the ready. The set ends on an emotional note with The First Man, a love song from Tami to her dad.
After a break Tami and her band return to play a set of old favourites that get the crowd members shaking their tail feathers. It’s the perfect end to a polished, professional evening.
Kathryn van Beek
www.kathrynvanbeek.co.nz
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