Molly Beanland brings debut EP to life in London
New age revivalist Molly Beanland has been a staple in the blogosphere since the beginning of the year, despite only releasing her debut EP Night Dreams last week. The sheer power of her 80s-inspired balladry and crystal vocals to boot have left us itching to see her perform, as did the modest crowd at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in London last night.
Flanked by her keyboardist and drummer, Beanland was the centre of attention, bouncing around in a sailor-girl outfit and smiling between each breath. “Real Life” showed-off her ability to hit notes with ease, regardless of any musical elements being muddy in the mix. “Electric” quickly recovered from a wobbly start and gave the audience the chance to hear it beyond its demo recording, which soon drifted into a charming electro-ballad with swaying onlookers.
The song that got us hooked on her music from the start - “Night Dreams” - saw Beanland enjoy herself most, howling “do you know you give me night dreams?” over huge electronic drum blasts and blinking synths. All fingers pointed to Cocteau Twins’ big and bold dream-pop.
The chance to hear songs from Beanland’s debut EP and new material was a mid-week treat. Let’s hope it’s not too long until another release.
Setlist
Not The Only
Real Life
I Can Hardly Breathe
Tokyo
Electric
Grand Theft
Night Dreams
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