Words: Evie Johnson
On Wednesday night, The Philharmonic Music Room was graced by upcoming talent presented by Liverpool Acoustics. Liverpool singer-songwriter Jennifer Vaudrey headlined the night, two nights before her latest release, ‘Time Like Water’, to showcase the power of Liverpool’s independent music scene through powerful vocal performances, intimate lyricism and cross-genre excellence.
Starting off the night in the Music Room was The Jesse Janes, presenting Liverpool with an amalgamation of Americana country folk through their array of perfectly crafted performances. With the tracks’ themes ranging from winter coziness, stealing hearts and even just getting things done. No band member singularly was focused on, instead with each of them having their own moment and lead tracks, creating a community feel that started off the night perfectly.
The band later returned to the stage after a short interval, but instead joined Jennifer Vaudrey for her headline performance that night. Opening with the album’s first track, ‘River’, the crowd were immediately greeted with Jennifer’s powerful vocal excellence, and a band which harmonised perfectly with the tone of the night.
A standout of the night emotionally had to be 2014 EP ‘Hide Away From Love”’s bonus track, ’Calling’ with a Joni Mitchell intimacy that only few artists are able to perfect. It would be very surprising if there was a single dry eye in the crowd as the setlist progressed. Along with this, the range of the night was what made the set so impressive. Going from a Joni Mitchell-esque intimate piano track, to songs influenced by Fleetwood Mac, The Bee Gees, and even a bit of Kylie Minogue was what amplified Jennifer beyond many singer-songwriters of the modern day, and generated a cross-genre masterpiece.
As a hidden Liverpool gem in the emerging talent scene, there was a feel that this show was the start of something bigger, as the new album has the potential to showcase Jennifer at her very best.
