Although Merrymouth may not be instantly recognisable to the lay-person on first glance, they are a band that after one listen grab hold of you and don't let go. Comprised of Simon Fowler and Dan Sealy, of Ocean Colour Scene fame, along with Adam Berry (an experienced musician in his own right) they are giving the recent influx of new folk oriented musician a run for their money.
Their set was essentially a mixture of material from their self titled first album, folk classics and songs they had previously written. Whilst the music may have come from a range of different sources, it all fitted together excellently. The vocals are quite simply stunning. Fowler's voice alone is strong with wonderful tone to it. Furthermore there were beautiful two and three person harmonies with Sealy and Berry that were often complex but always satisfying to the ears. Particular highlights included ‘Sweetest Words’, a song that was a glorious fusion of sound and had me going 'ohhhh' more than once. Another was a song by guitarist Dan Sealy called ‘Mr Marshall’. Apart form once again having some wonderful harmonies, it contained a glorious part for the violin that set the whole tempo to the song. These were only two songs but the entire set flowed beautifully and there wasn’t a dud song in it. To round off the evening, the encore started with Fowler playing two hits from Ocean Colour Scene. Special mention must go to his rendition of ‘Circle’ that brought a tear to my eye.
Another particularly endearing thing about Merrymouth is they are honest and self effacing. ‘I looked like a geography teacher’ lead singer Simon Fowler said of his appearance on the BBC's Culture Show. This was one of many self-deprecating comments throughout the evening that made the gig feel more intimate and, quite honestly, special. There was also a sense that, with their reserved sedentary delivery, they were letting the music speak for itself.
For fans of Merrymouth, Ocean Colour Scene or just great music in general, this show was excellent from start to finish. I could easily have sat there all night if they had let me. Enjoyable to watch and stunning to listen to, Merrymouth quite honestly blew me away.
