Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
It is an art to fall in love for the first time, the expectations are actually lower in the first minutes of any attraction than if you spin out the desire for a lengthy period; the pedestal only grows higher the longer you take to see the art in someone and the joy in their eyes in an up close and personal way. The quicker the introduction, the sooner it is you can let the infatuation with their song begin.
For Limerance, the sound that comes across is one that sweeps you back through time, that says the door to the past is open, it is rich, flowering and welcoming, one that is modern but at the same time acknowledges the certainties in the harmony and isn’t afraid to channel the very best of those that went before.
Even in the youthful days of being in a young duo, in holding each other against the chill wind of the world, life can be demanding, perhaps overly so and the expectation is somehow worse as people judge you too readily on what you will bring to their lives; like an over-zealous lover, they count the ways you will enhance their lives without ever wondering how they can be of a benefit to yours.
It is a state of mind that thankfully does not detract from Limerance’s Jenny Coyle and Calum Gilligan’s demeanour and obvious drive. As the early evening crowd settled in to make sure they were in time for the whole night in the upstairs at Leaf, Limerance set the tone for the evening with their county like touch and melting heart lyrics; all delivered with a lightness of spirit which was both positive and crucial to the evening’s ethos.
Ahead of the main event, the single launch night for Paul Dunbar & The Black Winter Band’s, the songs set out by the dynamic, free flowing pair was the lightness that the heavier, more lyrically dark later sets demand be played. In songs such as My Old Sky, Marie and Along For The Ride, the joy was palpable, the smile genuine and in the end, all that matters, is that the music was indisputably played with passion.
A terrific introduction for many into the world of Limerance; a love that will surely grow.
Ian D. Hall