Gig review: Tusks at The Bodega

I've always liked Monday gigs. It might seem counter-intuitive but for me it's the day that can be most improved by the possibilities of live music; the early rust of the working week shaken off as though the weekend still lives.

So it is again tonight, with a trio of acts gracing the stage of The Bodega, each providing their own unique and captivating qualities. 

First up is Lydia Prettyman, hailing from Manchester but having spent time in Notts, clearly delighted to be undertaking the 'surreal' experience of being onstage at such a storied venue. Lydia has been cultivating growing interest with a string of emotionally honest and melodic tracks that are becoming her brand. 

Onstage she's a charismatic, bright presence, presenting her songs with grace and verve. Musically, they sit somewhere between Billie Marten and Nieve Ella, with a truth and heartfelt spirit that really captivates. Ribcage is her latest single, an ode to love and a taste of the kind of earnest lyrics and engaging musicianship that are bound to connect to what will surely be an ever-growing audience. Catch her back here at the Hockey Hustle later this month. 

t l k is the kind of artist whose creativity and talent seems to come from some other plane of existence, so easy does it seem to pour from them. An amalgamation of vocals-as-instrument that balance as if on a thread of silk, piano that recalls minimalist ambient and endlessly deep synths, their music weaves true beauty from the components, creating flowing, fragile pieces wrought with humanity and alloyed with hope. 

The audience know just how special their set is. You can feel it in that beautiful way the atmosphere changes from song to song as the crowd becomes enraptured, until eyes are closed and rapt, attentive silence allows the flowing songs to pass through. 

Elegant piano chords and buttery smooth arpeggios tumble and twinkle, sprinkled atop roiling, cavernous bass. Above all this floats the most startling vocal, fluttering above, ethereal and alive with the rawness of feeling that comes with openness of heart and thought. They are songs that feel as though they were so effortlessly plucked from the ether in order to be presented, and the crowd respond with literal thanks at times.

It's reminiscent of early James Blake at times, calling to mind Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm at others, with a touch of Jon Hopkins' recent output, particularly Music for Psychedelic Therapy. The latter is a fitting touch point, as t l k's music does indeed take on a meditative quality. At one point, they invite the audience to close their eyes, to ruminate on our world and our place in it, to contextualise the existence we find ourselves in and ponder how we might bring about that which we seek.

"Where do you find yourself most alive?" they ask. It’s incredibly profound for a Monday. They have an album - The Noticing - in the works and I'd implore you to keep your ears out.

And so to Tusks. Emily Underhill’s project has been carving out a niche since 2012, serving up the kind of laid-back synth-driven songs that sweep you along on their atmospheric waves. After an in-store at Rough Trade earlier this year, it’s time for her first headline gig in Nottingham. 

Cohesive and dreamlike, the songs played here take on a new dimension live. Flanked by the two Bens that consist her band, they lock in to create vertiginous depth in each track. The bass is given room to breathe and the guitar space to cut through. The dynamic afforded by a live band coaxing the songs into taking on an almost physical presence in the room. 

Special mention definitely should go to the sound engineer for one of the best sounding gigs I’ve been to at The Bodega. The synths are clear and spacious, the drums tight and balanced and the sparkling guitar work rings like a bell, the edges glistening amid the swirling instrumentation. 

Throughout the gig, momentum surges and recedes as the tide, the lulls all the more effective for the pounding beats that precede them. It's incredibly cinematic, and an altogether emotive experience. 

Underhill’s vocals are hypnotic, alternately taking on an almost snarling rawness and plaintive, gossamer softness as she plucks a lovely little noodling riff on Toronto.

Not content with the release of LP Gold this year, Tusks launch a new EP on November 1st, promising 'orchestrated and chill’ versions of some tracks. It promises to be one you shouldn’t miss. 

Dissolve, the eponymous track from the 2017 album, is the closer. Splashing cymbals and plucked guitar strings fade into the vocals, before a softly anthemic chorus lifts the crowd and sends them on their way into the crisp autumn air. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Monday.  

Tusks performed at The Bodega on 7th October 2024.