Six songs into Trampled by Turtles' set your reviewer got a hankering for the Dillards.
Not because the wave of bands gaining major popularity through playing acoustic instruments like demons can't play bluegrass licks with the same panache as their forebears: there was some serious evidence to the contrary here. But mostly because there were three important things missing from TBT's delivery: nuance, dynamics and presentation.
There's no doubt that this five-piece from Minnesota can create excitement with their folklore meets thrash metal attitude. Their song Codeine fired into a hoedown of fiddle, mandolin and banjo picking that could have produced an energy rush among a cemetery's inhabitants, never mind the pogoing it inspired front of stage – and this was them still in the relatively low gears.
They could, however, create so much more. As a collective they're strong, with tight vocal harmonies carrying melodic hooks such as the undeniably catchy Wait So Long and an instrumental togetherness that achieves unstoppable momentum, if at times also predictable interplay. But their frontman, singer-guitarist Dave Simonett is unconvincing.
Words are mumbled, tunes are sung half-heartedly and when bassist Tim Sauxhaug steps up to sing Loudon Wainwright's Swimming Song, with every line delivered with clear conviction, Simonett's shortcomings are rather cruelly exposed.
Between songs especially is where they need to take a lesson from the Dillards' classic Live!!! Almost!!! album.
They could engage the audience, tell a story rather than chatting among themselves as they re-tune instruments that, admittedly, probably do need some attention after the ravages of a repertoire that does vary in pace, although it could do so with more thought towards tenderness and expression.
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