Her razor-bite singing voice, with those high notes that seem to whistle with silky efficiency from an icy Baltic drumlin, and her melody-rich blues that are delivered with distinctively sharp guitar yowls, to her splendidly fashioned, fine-spun musical dramas and symphonic wonder-sounds, each filled with rocky textures and creative blues concepts… such creations have captivated global audiences for years.
Now, Finnish singer-songwriter and musician ERJA LYYTINEN celebrates her 50th birthday. We were at the fabulous and surprisingly sweltering (given it was an October evening) Half Moon public house in Putney, South West London, to applaud that half-century milestone with her and her battalion of enthusiastic fans.
Erja took to the intimate stage wearing blacker-than-black quasi-bondage attire (let’s put it this way: Dame Vivienne Westwood would have been proud) to unleash a denunciatory ‘Ball And Chain’. It was a piece with a slick, slide-heavy feel, built upon a grungy riff and came packed with a soaring, guilty-pleasure chorus. Accompanying her to complete the power trio were polymath musician Heikki Saarenkunnas on bass and Jesse Lehto on drums.
a powerhouse of blues-rock expressiveness…
‘Smell the Roses’ suited the atmosphere at Putney with its glutinous, sozzled textures. Steadfast and driving, this song met the audience with full-tilt imperative. With its crisscross design, eager melody, dynamic arrangement, and gutsy vocals, it was a powerhouse of blues-rock expressiveness. Truly, a persuasive tale of denial and grasping desire.
‘Dragonfly’ featured a pattering set of rhythms and a grungy bundle of guitar notes before the coolest verse blew in from the cold north. This piece grew in architectural grandeur, coiling like razor wire around cool steel scaffolding. Erja’s vocal was clear and piercing, like daggers in the wind, before a sumptuous cushion of embroidered guitar spread across a cold galaxy. Widescreen in vision, this was precise in execution.
‘Abyss’ (“…that feeling of being alone in the dark…”) possessed an intensely dark, textured spine, offering an ominous first impression. Despite the experimental nature of the piece, the overall effect was undeniably true blues, underpinned by transcendent, shimmering imagery that was nothing short of spectacular.
‘The Ring’ demonstrated Erja’s world-class slide guitar skills to magnificent effect. With conscientious chops, a smooth-as-can-be rhythm section, triumphant vocals, and the type of no-nonsense boogie-blues atmosphere that gets heads nodding and toes tapping, this song instantly electrified the Half Moon crowd.
This show was daring, courageous and exultant. Brilliant!
Words: © Neil Mach
Photos: © Rupert Hitchcox
