Music / folk
Review: Jon Allen, The Lantern
The size of the audience is not always the reflection of an artist’s talent and there is no exception to the rule tonight. Jon Allen is most famous for his debut album Dead Man’s Suit, which includes Going Home, a song that has enjoyed a pleasant fame. Back with a new album after four years, named Blue Fame (released on 18th of May), Allen is transformed. His mid-length brown hair and his hat have now disappeared and it’s a thinner, grizzled Allen who appears on stage. Though his look is the only thing that has changed for his voice, still as smooth as it used to be, hasn’t moved an inch.
Alone with its acoustic guitar, Allen promises the audience a set full of sad numbers but also a few happier songs, but of course, on minor keys. Straight away, he makes an impression with his typical British irony and likeable personality. The composition of his set is well-thought-out with a balanced blend of older numbers and unreleased songs. The audience is particularly delighted to hear Joanna, a single from album Sweat Defeat. Allen introduces a new song named It’s Just the End of the World, a title which follows his governing principle when it comes to writing songs. The crowd slyly smile and go along with the game because they know how Allen functions. It’s a bit of a bluesy song and the melody is rather cheerful despite the apocalyptic words.
Jon then performs Joanna’s Whale, the title which also gives its name to the album. He explains how he could have simply named the song “It makes me happy”; a sentence repeated several times in the lyrics, before opting for a more obscure name just so people couldn’t find it easily. The highlight of the set is the interpretation of Lady of the Water, a song reminding of folk music from the sixties and seventies. Its finesse and complexity softly echoes a bit of Richard Thompson. The performance draws to an end with the beautiful ballade In your Light which, despite positive words, resonates pure melancholy. Allen comes back for an encore composed of Dead Man’s Suit, finally giving the crowd a chance to clap with enthusiastic energy.
is needed now More than ever
With the control of a tightrope walker, Jon Allen performs a subtle and moving set demonstrating how much of a polyvalent artist he is. The sad melodies mix with the optimistic words and the pains find complementarity in the joyful tunes. His return is a success and just like him, the audience hope to see him again before another four years.
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