February 22, 2012
WATCHING Beth Jeans Houghton perform in Middlesbrough in 2007, it was
hard not to be bowled over by this precocious blonde teenager with the
beautiful face and even more beautiful voice.
Her song Milk Bottles, full of delicate melodies and intricate guitar
picking, showcased a talent that seemed destined to propel her to the
top of the newly-invigorated English folk scene.
Almost five years down the line and still aged just 22, much has
changed with Miss Houghton’s image and musical delivery, although her
rich vocals and sharply penned lyrics remain.
It’s just a shame that at The Deaf Institute, you could not always hear them.
Now joined on stage by the snappily titled band The Hooves of
Destiny, the performance packs more of a punch, but the layers of sound
mean some of the wit and mischief of songs such as Shampoo and Your
Holes can get lost.
Sporting a sparkly dress, bright floral kimono style jacket and a
beehive hairdo with matching streaks of green, BJH started with the
jangly folk stomper Atlas, one of the strongest songs from her début
album Yours Truly Cellophane Nose. However, trouble finding a capo for
her guitar delayed the second track Franklin Benedict before she
rediscovered her footing with the delightfully operatic Dodecahedron.
The soulful Honeycomb was a definite set highlight – briefly turning
the Hooves of Destiny into a barbershop quartet and allowing BJH to
demonstrate the impressive depth of her vocal range. The penultimate
track was the fabulously catchyI Will Return I Promise – before she
brought things to a close with a surprisingly brilliant cover of
Madonna’s Like A Prayer.
Seemingly overtaken by the likes of Laura Marling in the folk scene,
BJH perhaps needs to rein in some of the quirks of her performance if
she is to get to the head of the pack.
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Author: Sarah Dunn
Source: CityLife
Date: February 24th, 2012
Original article: HERE
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