Tonight played host to another early evening gathering within the four walls of Southsea’s Pie & Vinyl, this time for a set courtesy of the fantastic Moulettes – currently on a tour of record stores prior to heading off to Canada for a string of festival dates.
Moulettes are by now no strangers to Southsea and have become firm favorites with our own little record café, having played both a previous in-store and as part of the Castle Road/Record Store Day festivities last year along with a headlining show at the Wedgewood Rooms… tonight the band of course also had a pastry product named in their honor (containing moo, rather than mule or mole, as singer Hannah Miller was keen to point out).
These intimate events are a way to show your support to the artist and their newest release in an up close and personal environment, whilst supporting independent record stores at the same time which is of course just as important, unlike a proper gig however these occasions are often all too brief (although last months appearance by Duke Spirit may be an exception) and as such Moulettes were restricted to only a handful of songs and a quick meet and great before heading off to another show in Lewes, near their hometown of Brighton.
First up we were treated to “Behemouth“, the opening track on the masterpiece that is “Preternatural” a concept album featuring songs all about creatures from the sea, the short set focusing on the new release included a stripped back version of “Pufferfish Love” complete with informative anecdotes that David Attenborough would be proud of.
The handful of songs performed at Pie & Vinyl still included an electric cello fed through a bunch of effects along with Ruth Skippers auto-harp and bassoon playing, but without any added lighting or visual projections and no room for a full drum kit the intimate performance was very much in keeping with the occasion, whilst providing a perfect way to introduce fans to the new material.
The album itself features various samples, instruments and sounds developing Moulettes from a folk inspired band to one venturing into prog rock territory and far more besides, as such “Preternatural” is a record that deserves to propel the group into the limelight and appeal to an even wider audience… so whilst us select few were lucky enough to witness another in-store session, across the ocean those attending any of the Canadian festivals are about to see and hear the beautiful beast in all it’s glory.
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