Continuing my February foray to Cambridge’s acoustic gig offerings, the intimate club surroundings of Junction 3 – where the popular New Routes event has its home – hosts some of the very best acoustic and electric talent in the folk and Americana scene.

The relaxed atmosphere enhanced with the placing of small tables that add to the air of community, friends old and new able to enjoy each other’s company whilst sipping on their drink of choice and soaking up the music played. It’s a formula that works and one that’s proven very popular, each night selling out as more and more seek its guarantee of something rather wonderful.

Photo: Tony Birch

Headlining, troubadour Fraser Anderson has made his way over from his Bristol home, vocalist Bex Baxter and double bass player John Parker at his side. Armed with his warm voice that breaks into a falsetto at times and dexterous guitar playing, Anderson has an easy charm, his self-effacing attitude and openness creating an instant connection.

Touched with the blues, his laid back and jazzy take on folk is refreshing, the style something unique and intriguing that has hints of the late, great John Martyn at his finest, the interplay between him, Baxter and Parker a delight.

The shimmering waltz of ‘Cold Eyes’ manages to be one-part smoky bar, one-part wide open pastoral beauty, the harmonies and underpinning guitar and bass blending into a perfect whole, capturing the talent at work here. Equally impressive, the fretwork of ‘Waterfall’ dazzles without being overly flash and the broken and longing vibe of ‘Feel’ paints pictures in words and music like the grand masters.

Things loosen up a little with a beautifully arranged take on The Proclaimers ‘500 Miles’ that sees its happy stomp brought to something more stately and sparse, this fresh light through old windows stamped with Anderson’s own identity.

With five albums under his belt, there’s a wealth of material to choose from and ‘One More Day Forever’ from 2023’s ‘All We Are’ shows his growth as a writer, the already storied Anderson reaching ever greater heights.

The choice of Parker’s double bass and Baxter’s vocals are perfect to accompany the arrangements, their individually expressive tones pitched with precision throughout. Encoring with the spoken word ‘With You All’ a ragged and lyrical end to the evening, another layer revealed in heartfelt fashion, Anderson giving his all in a spirit of sharing that struck a chord with all present. An outstanding performer, the world is a better place with Anderson’s music in it.

Photo: Mark Pickering

Appearing at both my acoustic shows, locally based Emily Fraser is a revelation. Whilst having been on the scene for a while, the studiously low profile she’s kept can’t be hidden for much longer, her talent impossible to miss.

Immediately enchanting, there’s something magnetic about her quiet charisma that stops you in your tracks and the songs she writes have an air of intimacy and openness that touches the soul. To be this vulnerable is strikingly brave, the emotions real and probing as they are stripped bare, but it’s all wrapped in such achingly beautiful music that any pain is salved by a patina of joy. With her expressive voice soaked with a seductive smokiness, the songs work their way under your skin as they pull you further into her world.

Photo: Tony Birch

As with Thursday night’s show, Fraser is joined once more by keys player Sean O’Hanrahan and Ben Smith on pedal steel, the two musicians adding their own individual magic to the sound that builds subtle layers of atmosphere.

Delicately plucking her guitar and lost in the lyrics, Fraser is focused in the moment, the gentle strains of first number ‘Open Your Eyes’ drifting out like a siren call, wistful and incandescent. There’s silence in the audience, any conversations having stopped so not to break the spell and so it continued whilst the trio are playing, the floating but more upbeat rhythms of ‘Peace of Mind’ getting heads nodding and toes tapping.

Whilst tuning issues with her various guitars provide little breaks that threaten the flow, when a song as arresting as ‘My Girl’ comes along it’s impossible not to be transfixed, the fragility of its form a thin veneer that covers a pushed down pain.

At times there seems to be an old, world-weary soul in the body of this young woman standing on stage but there is a sparkle there that peeks through any perceived cracks, a hope and strength that breathes life into new song ‘See It All’ and the reflective ‘Old Memories’.

The outfit continued to work wonders together, the arrangements in ‘Looking Up’ letting each member of the trio shine as they complimented but never overpowered either each other or the music itself, the song always the central focus. ‘Talk to Me’ and ‘Out of Sync’ close the set, both walking a fine line between love and obsession, darkness and light as an almost reverential hush continues over those gathered.

As the last note is played, Fraser breaks into a smile that lights up her face, the catharsis of singing these songs and touching such emotions released into the ether once more. Held breaths are let out and the applause starts again, the appreciation coming in heavy waves. It’s nothing less than they deserve.

Two extraordinary nights of songs performed by some outstanding artists, a salve to the soul and full of genuine beauty. This truly is the power of music to move and affect lives so profoundly as to transport the listener to a world both familiar yet wonderfully different, the shared experience priceless beyond words.

Review by Paul Monkhouse

More to explore: Constant Follower (Cambridge, 22 February 2024)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 14 April

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)

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