Natty’s gig at Bush Hall was definitely not what I was expecting, which was both good and bad. What was I expecting? Something reminiscent of his pretty special Lovebox set, full on hip-hop dosed reggae full of energy and verve…

…what we got musically was far better as he style down to an acoustic set.  I don’t know what it is that makes songs stripped down naked sound so good.  Natty’s distinctive voice cut  through and sounded even more authoritative as he sung about the xBox generation, love and life.  Crowds favourites July, Bedroom Eyes and Cold Town got the roars of approval they deserved.

Hearing Natty sing acoustically is something we will be getting used to as his new ep (fan funded by Pledge Music) will be a totally acoustic affair.  Recorded in honour of close friend who passed away last year, the songs sound a little more intense, a little more introspective.  They are songs that deserve a dedicated first listen, alone with the iPod, to capture the emotion.  Friday night at Bush Hall with a fairly excitable crowd did not do the new songs the justice they deserved; a more personal venue may have done the trick.  That was the bad because the new songs sounded so good, I just wish I had to chance to hear and understand them a little more (all the talking didn’t help either as it seemed concentration levels waned a little as people wanted to party!).

It looks like the new EP is going to be a real treat for summer, and Natty live remains a great experience; free flowing and fun.  Acoustically his voice gets the chance to come into its own, I just wish I could have digested the new music first so I could truly savour the moment live.

Soulside Funk

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