Review 3

Acoustic in Paris
(February 2005)

The first thing you notice about Will Halliday's music is the throaty tenderness of his voice which seems to be able to slide effortlessly between verse and chorus, from husky blues crooner to crystalline falsetto. And tonight's intimate performance was a chance to showcase songs up close in this historic Paris venue. A nervous and intense performer at the start, Halliday had the audience spell bound by the end of the 30mins set. It was as if we were momentarily peering in to the songwriters soul.

After two beautifully elegant & fragile solo acoustic numbers (Velvet Revolution, Draino) the tone of the set changed as band members from WalktheTalk joined Halliday on stage. The backing band fleshed out the more uptempo tracks tracks from Wanderlust with an almost burlesque swing and rockabilly style. Goldenboy's guitar and piano touches were always tasteful and it is no wonder Beck, Elliott Smith and The Eels have all requested his services. An impromptu gypsy organ player joined them for Last Cigarette and the final track Saturn Return's cataclysmic outro literally brought the house down.

Undemonstrative on record, Halliday played with surprising presence and warmth. Tonight we were treated to a special performance by a new talent on the Paris scene. I suspect he will be welcomed back anytime soon.