God Help The Girl – 100 Club, London 21/11/09

30 November 2009, 10:00 | Written by Adam Elmahdi

(Live)

Only a fool would have expected otherwise, of course, but tonight’s God Help The Girl show was so utterly twee it made me want to buy a polka-dot dress and dance to The Shirelles in my bedroom*. For those not in the know, GHTG are the side-project of Belle and Sebastian maestro Stuart Murdoch, formed to provide the soundtrack for his forthcoming film of the same name. Established fans of B&S will swiftly find themselves in reassuringly familiar territory – witty, faintly melancholic lyrics, delightfully retro arrangements – though there’s a lushness to the all-female harmonies that helps set them apart (slightly) from Murdoch’s other band.

The three vocalists, Catherine Ireton, Celia Garcia and Alex Klobouk, acquit themselves wonderfully in what’s only their second-ever performance. Ireton, in particular, capturing both the girl-next-door charm and vulnerability that Murdoch’s characterisation demands. The instrumentation was full, rich and satisfying, never cloying or threatening to overwhelm the vocals.

Opener ‘Act Of The Apostle’ set the tone perfectly, all unassuming and laid-back before breaking into Tin Pan Alley-style vaudeville pianos and swinging double bass. Other songs clearly drew inspiration from the Spector-produced girl groups of the mid-60′s, but old school harmony-drenched deliciousness was a constant theme throughout. Murdoch was happy to keep in the background for the most part (although he does fill in for absent friend Neil Hannon on ‘Perfection As A Hipster’) but the ladies had enough charisma and talent to effortlessly carry the show on their own, especially on livelier tracks like ‘I’ll Have To Dance With Cassie’.

Drawing upon the Stills EP as much as the soundtrack, they also previewed new song ‘Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night’, an upbeat number with a pleasing, if under-utilised line in hand-claps. Sure, a few string or brass flourishes wouldn’t have gone amiss but the only real complaint was the show’s length – 45 minutes without an encore may be excusable on the grounds of lack of material, but a cover (or god forbid, a couple of B&S numbers) would have been a thoughtful touch. No matter though. God Help The Girl may not be a band who’ll ever set the world alight, but shows this unpretentiously sweet and soulful are rarer that you’d think-at the very least, it was a welcome ray of sunshine on this greyest and most miserable of days.

Able support was provided by Pocketbooks, a band who openly wear their influences on the sleeves of their heavy-knit cardies. Their firm adherence to the Orthodox Church of Twee makes them easy to like but difficult to love- their boy/girl harmonies and jangly guitars are pleasant enough and they certainly fit the occasion, but for all their low-key charm there’s something slightly forgettable about them. Nice neckerchief, though.

(*TLOBF takes no responsibility for any emotional distress caused as a result of this mental image.)