Review of Larkin Poe at Inchyra, 8th April 2019 - Pete Drummond-Hay
"A sell-out crowd enjoyed a superb night of Southern Rock and Americana at Inchyra Arts Club on Monday night.
Support came from Bristol-based duo Foreign Affairs who got the show off to a cracking start. Brothers, Adam and Lawrence Purnell, treated the audience to a showcase of tunes from ‘The Old Fire Station’, their recently released mini album. Lawrence’s interesting and heartfelt songs are enlivened and enlarged Adam’s skilful grungy guitar. On their gentler numbers, they create unusually atmospheric and powerful soundscapes, the scope of which is extraordinary for just two musicians. The Purnell brothers are a talented pair who know how to excite a crowd.
Then came the twin guitar assault of Larkin Poe, a magnificent, authentic Southern rock band. Hailing from Georgia and led by sisters Rebecca and Meghan Lovell, they proceeded to tear the place apart with a well-paced set of original songs and judiciously chosen covers. They were ably supported by a rhythm section comprising Kevin McGowan on Drums and Tarka Layman on Bass and Keyboards that allowed the Lead Guitar lines of Rebecca and the startlingly inventive Slide Guitar of Meghan to soar. This combined with some gorgeous smoky vocals, reminiscent, at times, of Bonnie Raitt, and even on the more soulful numbers evoking Tina Turner, overlaid with the sibling harmonies that only families seem able to achieve, made for a really exciting show.
Their music is grounded in the Southern Rock and Country Blues of the likes of the Allmann Brothers but Larkin Poe take the genre and put their own, unique stamp on it. Songs from their new album ‘Venom and Faith’ crossed swords with classics like “John the Revelator” and Robert Johnson’s “ Come on in my Kitchen” and it was hard to distinguish new from old so steeped in the Blues are they. The ingenuity and extended soloing on Lead and Slide encapsulated the South admirably. They had the audience in the palm of their hands and songs like “California King” and “Blue Ridge Mountains” were perfect for the band to stretch themselves. “Mad as a Hatter” written for their Grandad was a delight. This was Riff laden rock performed brilliantly and the last night of their four-week European tour will live long in the memory of the Arts Club audience as they made their way home singing."
