There’s something to be said about the pleasant surprise of the familiar. At Sofar Sounds, you never know whose home you’re walking into, what acts will play, or who you may run into.
This month’s show was tucked away within the familiar walls of Allston’s Box Fort. Walking in, I was greeted by familiar faces while watching others do just the same. Echoes of “What? I can’t believe you’re here!” carried across half of the room while the other half exchanged handshakes and business cards alike.
Reflecting back to the first time I heard about the Sofar movement back in November – I was skeptical about the probability of creating a space for a community to grow out of love for discovering. But lo-and-behold, month after month I’ve seen genuine exchanges and seen the benefits first-hand. The crew has created exactly what it set out to: a listening room. Sofar has made a space for discovery for new sounds to meet new ears.
Yet I’ve had a creeping suspicion that the sounds are growing quite familiar. The three-band lineup this month featured Tall Heights, Darlingside, and Poor Old Shine. I want to make this distinction clear, I walked out of this month’s show livened by the discovery of new faces, but I left also feeling hungry for new sounds.
The night kicked off with duo Tim Harrington and Paul Wright that play under the moniker Tall Heights. Discovered in 2010 busking at Faneuil Hall, they have since played alongside big names like Laura Marling and Ryan Montbleau. Harrington and Wright craft beautiful harmonies with two voices so haunting and humble. The mastery they’ve achieved for their bare bones setup is an evident growth from their years street performing, honing in on how to grab a passersby’s attention and not let go. The (literally) tall duo commanded the room effortlessly with a set equally gripping and gentle, setting the bar high for the acts to follow.
After a brief intermission, indie folk quartet Darlingside took center stage. Kicking off their set with an acapella collage clustered around a single microphone. The quartet has a surprisingly barbershop quality to them (a comment I never thought I’d say in a complimentary fashion). Darlingside’s set was reminiscent of Punch Brothers and demonstrated swiftness in both their technical musicianship and wit (bantering with the audience about the contrasting chaotic sounds seeping up from the punk band practice happening one floor below).
Poor Old Shine, a quintet from Connecticut with strong bluegrass roots rounded out the night. Sonically, Poor Old Shine was a standout with the most varied setlist. The five-piece includes more eccentric instruments like a pump organ and a singing saw. The group is undoubtedly authentic and their pure love for their craft is enough to win over anyone with a set of eyes and a set of ears. That punk band practicing downstairs? Nowhere to be found when Poor Old Shine’s full bodied sound took over. Take a listen to “Tear Down The Stage” and “Punching The Air” off of their latest self-titled release and you’ll see what I mean.
This edition of Sofar Boston was a Newport Folk Fest-er’s dream — but that’s my worry in a nutshell.
