Following the release of the blissfully introspective Ultrapure, American singer-songwriter Briston Maroney heads on tour to celebrate his sophomore album. The lyrical storyteller makes a stop at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms for a chilled-out set…
The singer strolls onstage with humble charm, joined by his equally charming band. The tight-knit chemistry between these musicians was instantly apparent, the type of connection that can only be formed in the delirium of five-hour layovers between flights.
They slipped organically into the opening melody of Body, the original single from Ultrapure. Armed with his trusty acoustic guitar, Maroney was flanked by his bass and electric guitarists - the indie version of a string symphony. As the electric guitar hummed wistfully, Maroney embarked upon an introspective journey as he dove into his poignant lyricism: “Someday, my body will be just a body”. It sounds morbid to say that the audience was collectively reminded of their mortality, but I mean it in the most flattering way.
Maroney delved further into his past with Small Talk, a high-energy track from his 2019 EP Indiana. The song began with Maroney’s solitary vocals, intertwined with the strings of his guitar. The band kicked in once again to combine threadbare lyricism with groovy indie-rock instrumentals, a motif which continued with Fool’s Gold.
The singer became increasingly vulnerable through his performance of Sunburn Fades, a nostalgic ode to long-forgotten summer love. The singer stood solitary onstage as he sang June, during which the audience gently echoed the closing lyrics “Ain’t it funny how I fell in love and then came June?” Rescue Rooms was encaptured within a deeply intimate moment; a testament to Briston’s honest songwriting. I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the choice to include an electric guitar in a song that yearns for an acoustic sound. However, I have never seen an electric guitar be used so delicately.
Maroney’s band joined him once again for Under My Skin, a track brimming with feel-good groove and high-stakes drumming. The singer suspended his audience in moments of breathy pauses during Caroline, before metaphorically and physically letting down his long tresses of hair during the chorus.
Throughout the night, artist and audience alternated between gentle ballads and groovy indie-rock. The sentimental, aching vocals of Sunshine, both complimented and contrasted the amped-up rock sound of Sinkin. The set progressed to the sparkling clarity of Freakin’ Out on the Interstate, Maroney’s hit single from 2020. A truly euphoric conclusion to the night, Maroney’s hit track embodies the feeling of overthinking in the dead of night, an emotion which resonated with everyone in the room.
Briston Maroney performed at Rescue Rooms on 7 November 2023
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