The Hazey Janes
Dundee Rep
Four stars
Lorraine Wilson
Apart from the appearance of a luxuriant beard and the cultivation of music's most majestic fringe, it would appear from the outside that nothing much has changed with The Hazey Janes.
Celebrating ten years together with a live "best of" show, the set was taken from four albums and a debut mini album. Beneath an indie exterior, the Dundee four-piece has always produced timeless power pop, sometimes with a side order of country, but always with songwriting at its heart with influences from Velvet Crush to Jimmy Webb to Gram Parsons.
The chronological approach showed how the songwriting has developed but also how they have grown individually. Always a tight rhythm section, Liam Brennan on a Ringo-esque kit and Matthew Marra now offer a fluid and melodic backdrop to Andrew Mitchell's vocals, guitar, and piano, now also in use with Idlewild.
Perhaps the greatest growth has come from Alice Marra, however; now on guitar, piano, keyboard and a vocal that has become fuller, richer, and more confident.
Joined by Christopher Marra on pedal steel and acoustic guitar and Jenny Sutherland on violin, it was difficult to believe that so few people created such a multi-layered sound.
If the night lacked anything it was the energy of some previous performances. In fact, at times there was a distinct melancholy that came from more than just the judicious use of complex minor chords.
Finishing with Like Another Rolling Stone by Michael Marra, the line "make the optimistic sound" had rarely sounded so relevant. If they decide to call it a day before you get a chance to see them, strap on the steel toe caps to kick yourself.
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