Athens based artist and troubadour Westerman delivered an earnest and intimate set with his band at The Bodega, Nottingham on the 21st of October, midway through the European tour for his latest LP An Inbuilt Fault. Ross Williams reviews.
Will Westerman began the set alone on stage, declaring his relief, after enduring a stormy and turbulent voyage across the Irish sea the previous night. In lieu of the support act Joviale -who were too seasick and sleep deprived to perform- Will began an extended set alone at the keyboard and dispatched some new material. The keyboard/synth player, drummer and bassist soon joined, whilst Will took his place at the centre stage.
"The transient and forward percussive style of the drummer, Maddie, immediately commanded attention"
The set began with CSI: Petralona, an infectious and ardent single from the latest LP that blends beautiful open chords, a floor tom back-beat and a scathing synthesiser. The transient and forward percussive style of the drummer, Maddie, immediately commanded attention and is unlike anything I've heard before in a live setting. The next song I,Catallus demonstrated the tasteful pocket which the band could hold, whilst creating astute harmony among the staccato stabs of guitars, keys and drum fills. Westerman’s distinctive vocal timbre and cadence began to cut through the mix nicely on tracks like Waiting on Design.
"His playing is an understated mix of staccato strumming and fingerstyle, all drenched in chorus"
A mix of Talk Talks’ Mark Hollis with John Martyn’s folkish sensibility, Will’s disjunct vocal style is instantly recognizable to the initiated. Through the set, Will shifted his weight over his notable selection of pedals and interchanged between a Rickenbacker, a Fender Stratocaster and a bodyless guitar-that I couldn’t identify. His playing is an understated mix of staccato strumming and fingerstyle, all drenched in chorus. Some tracks stood out among others such as Blue Comanche; a vivid ballad that was bedded with chords from the keyboard player’s prophet 6 synth.
Fan favourites such as the reflective Confirmation were weaved between tracks from the new album, such as Take and A Lens Turning, to great effect. Near the end of the set, it became clear how worn out the band was from the previous night. Despite this setback of exhaustion, the band played through the set eloquently and steadfast. The tepid head-bops of the sparse audience were a segue to the confident applause that the band received between the tracks.
Overall, Westerman and his band were easy and cathartic listening once they got going; the surprisingly lengthy set flew by. I would encourage anybody who enjoys feeling cerebral veins of nostalgia-from the right side of the 80s- and downtempo pop to give him a listen.
Ross Williams
Edited by Alice Beard
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