Concert Review: Mary Lattimore & Julianna Barwick – Tuning Fork, June 19, 2019

Experimental musicians, Mary Lattimore & Julianna Barwick, balanced and combined their individual, otherworldly sounds to create a uniquely layered, emotive soundscape at Tuning Fork last night.

Opening for the duo was neo-psychedelia guitarist, Roy Montgomery, performing a 25-minute, three-part instrumental piece. Performed as a fluid piece without pause, the instantly dreamy and overlapping sitar-like guitar synth in At This Point In My Life I Find Myself Talking Like I’m Dead took cues from Jeff Buckley’s painful rendition of Hallelujah and the ominous build of Neil Young’s improvised, atmospheric score for Dead Man.

Parts two and three, Left To My Own Devices Temporarily and Not Going Quietly Into The Night added depth and increasingly rhythmic bass to the piece, infusing the psychedelia of Pink Floyd with the layered instrumental sound of Mike Oldfield and the distinctive slide blues of early Ben Harper.

After a short break, California-based harpist, Mary Lattimore,emerged and settled herself next the spectacular, grand harp that occupied much of the stage. Following the dreamily layered It Feels Like Floating and delicate sadness of Baltic Birch, Lattimore mentioned how awe-struck she was by the instrument itself – created in 1917 – a brief moment that defined the mutual approach to the concert by both the musicians and the crowd.

Julianna Barwick replaced Lattimore on stage shortly afterward, performing her own sweeping instrumental through her use of electronic synths, vocal percussion loops and minimalist layering. Much of Barwick’s sound contains the same otherworldly existentialism you’ll find in Beach House, Aphex Twin, Sigur Ros, Death in Vegas, Air and the soft, sweeping electronica of Sebastian Tellier – however, the grand scale and precision of Barwick’s performance made it impossible not to feel swept up by her escalating, emotive sound.

Following their individual performances, the duo performed a collaborative piece which displayed an acute understanding of both each other as musicians and their unique, respective sounds. This, ultimately, was the strength of the concert, not as a crowd-mover or an energetically inspiring setlist, but as a display of immense talent so very rarely seen up close.

As seen in Lattimore’s observation and comment on the beauty of the harp itself, much of the crowd fell still and silent in combined awe across the performances, witnessing musicians in total command of their instruments and capable of effortlessly displaying their full potential. As a concert, this may have been one of the least energetic and tranquil I’ve ever seen. As a performance, however, it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, combining ambient electronica and classical proficiency into something truly spectacular and unforgettable.

Oxford Lamoureaux

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