Sharon Reid and The Attic Knights

Sharon Reid

The Odessa Club

22/10/10

Angela Macari O’Looney

I recently reviewed Sharon Reid’s album Make your own Runway and was blown away by her abundant talent and charm. A musician and inspiring song writer, she and her band The Attic Knights create a sound that’s a lovely escape from the current genres that struggle to sound original.

Instead, Sharon effortlessly composes truly beautiful arrangements, matching them with poignant lyrics.

On a cold October evening I headed down to this cosy venue in the heart of Dublin, to see Sharon bring her songs to life. I was the first person to arrive, so I had a chance to have a sneak preview while they were sound checking. I chose a delicious overstuffed couch and relaxed.

The place began to fill up and because it’s so small it wasn’t long before most of the comfortable sitting room style seats were occupied. The candlelit atmosphere was just perfect for beautiful music.

Sharon began her set with Wake up from her album. This is a laid back number with trickling piano notation and dramatic guitar. The sound builds up for the chorus, where Lena Clarke performs backing vocals. Sharon’s vocals are angelic here and she demonstrates her astounding range, going right up to a higher octave.

Saved, with a divine key change within the chorus was next, followed by Socrates, which has a message in it about how we overthink about life and its meaning. Each song from the album was brought to life and sounded even more magical!

Speeding things up a bit, Sharon did one of the faster songs from her album Meet you on the way back down. This involves some powerful bass and this evening Aderson Arruda from Brazil was standing in for their usual bassist Marian Isabella. Both guitars do some exciting stuff. Lead guitar is performed by Shane Reid and drums were performed by Carlo Mateo Porpatti Angel from brazil who was standing in for Liam Bradley.

Sunflowers is a new upbeat song and in this Lena performs answering vocals and harmony. This was yet another refreshing song, with lots of delightful riffs and changes throughout.

Next was my own favourite number from Sharon’s collection to date; All kinds of worry. This has a gorgeous keyboard riff at the beginning, a beautiful melody line and it has a really special message in the lyrics; We got all kinds of people, they’ve got all kinds of worry so just chill child. Some things ain’t meant to be.

If there was a day from which the title of Sharon’s album is taken, was next. This is a soft number, with splashes of harmony here and there. Piano and guitar are pretty special too.

Lionman (Mumford & Son cover) – They did a fab version of this fast moving number. Rhythm guitar is great in this really enjoyable song, Sharon’s piano also excellent.

Ralphie – This is a new number where Sharon plays tambourine, coming up to the front to perform it. She has a very flexible voice, where she can be sweet for slower songs or powerful and bold for the more upbeat ones like this. She was enjoying the evening, as were her audience and I for one felt privileged to be a part of it.

Bob Dylan’s You ain’t going nowhere was performed next by Shane. He also performed a catchy number which he composed called Speeding car. I particularly like the baseline here. Sharon and Lena performed backing vocals for this song.

Mary Ellen is a song from the album and Sharon told the audience the interesting story of how the lyrics came about. This song was so much more enjoyable live than on CD. It has a kind of three four tempo and a country feel to it. Harmony is sweet in this sad love song.

Electric is the night/Waiting for perfection/ Calling it in and Looking for clearance were all performed. Sharon’s energy seems boundless.

Calling it in is a fast number which expresses concern about how in these times art is mass produced and given away for free. It addresses how music and other art forms get churned out, threatening how future generations will see this and how the preciousness of creativity should always be preserved and cherished by all and treated like a legacy. Musically, it’s a catchy piece with a superb baseline, a great beat and the harmony is lovely.

Sharon was called up for an encore and we were treated to Friend, which is a memorable piece from her album. This she performed alone, with only piano for accompaniment. It has a candy sweet melody line and lyrics that express how she feels about a best friend. The chorus is delectable, with a cheerful beat, appealing chords and heart warming lyrics.
I especially like the line You don’t even know it, so know this. With the two of us, there are no tricks. And I think we can stick it to the bitter end. It’s a great description for that special pal some of us are lucky enough to have.
At the end of the gig, Sharon happily chatted to members of her audience who came up to express how they enjoyed it. I will definitely revisit this cosy venue again and I wish Sharon and the Attic Knights lots of luck with their album and future endeavours.