Julia Holter – The Deaf Institute, Manchester 13/11/13

“I’m actually allergic to fog, so I’m probably going to die shortly.” It’s an alarming admission from Julia Holter, so early into tonight’s show. “Nah, I’m just kidding. But I think it’s better if we have no fog, so I can see you all. It’s better if we can communicate, right?” Complete silence from the crowd. “Oh, God. Maybe it isn’t!”

I suspect the far-from-vocal nature of those gathered in The Deaf Institute’s not-quite-full music hall tonight is less to do with impoliteness and more a reflection of a crowd not entirely sure what to expect from this particular gig – and perhaps caught a little off guard by Holter’s sheer affability. Her third full-length, Loud City Song, dropped back in August to richly-deserved rave reviews. It’s an album characterised by its adventurousness and eccentricity; accordingly, quite how she’d manage to bring those songs to live on stage has, to this point, been something of an unknown quantity.

Her five-piece backing band certainly isn’t traditional; there’s a drummer, sure, but cello, violin and saxophone are the other accompaniments to Holter’s single keyboard. It’s an unusual lineup, but one that proves wholly appropriate given the obvious stylistic influence of jazz on Holter’s work, and Loud City Song in particular; if not in obvious instrumental terms, then certainly in the often freeform manner in which her songs are structured. Opener “In the Green Wild” is a case in point; it begins with some trepidation, Holter’s eccentric vocals tiptoeing around awkward flashes of violin and a wandering cello line, before settling into a firmer groove later on.

Key to the fluid feel of proceedings is drummer Corey Vogel; he exhibits a wide repertoire that displays both a seldom showy mastery of the straightforward – a staunch marching-band turn on “Marienbad” – and a penchant for collapsing into climactic jazz breakdowns in delightfully languid fashion, as is the case, thrillingly, during the nightmarish close to “City Appearing”.

Holter’s live vocals are as crisp as you’d expect from somebody with her background in terms of classical training, even if they are far too high in the mix for the opening half hour or so. She also wrestles with monitor problems throughout the set. She struggles through admirably, but you expect that her sound technician was in for an earful after the show – as, sadly, were the audience every time she hit a high note during the opening numbers.

Technical difficulties aside, it’s hard to find too much inclination to pick fault with an artist who has unequivocally refused to compromise their artistic vision in converting a peculiarly-constructed record for live consumption. She manages to do justice to both the dramatic quality of her music and the warmth and wit of her own personality; there’s no question of her potential as a recording artist, but on tonight’s evidence, her live shows look set to prove equally exciting in the future.

Photograph by Rick Bahto