Indie folk’s great collaborator finds another gear in London with songs from his fifth record.
Folk rock storyteller Christian Lee Hutson visits London for the third year running to promote Paradise Pop. 10, his fifth solo record in a career full of collaboration. Taking the stage at Lafayette, the second London venue from Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons, Hutson and his band give us a set that is at times piercing, witty, romantic and disaffected but always engaging.
Following on from the success of 2020’s Beginners and 2022’s Quitters, records effectively toured as one release after pandemic restrictions were lifted, Hutson has something new to show us. Born in Kansas but long associated with LA, Hutson is now based in New York, all the better to work with longtime producer Phoebe Bridgers and partner Maya Hawke, who contributes vocals and co-writing duties to Paradise.
We start with a lovely opening set from local indie folk songwriter Clara Mann, playing songs from upcoming debut album Rift. Hutson begins with Tiger, the opening track from Paradise, apologising in advance for his piano skills, though he seems to stick the landing. Piano is a new flavour to his live sets and one of the more pronounced departures presented by Paradise, and it gently carries Tiger’s tale of letting a loved one go so they can fulfil their potential, never fully landing on whether the act of martyrdom stems from altruism or inadequacy.
We are next diverted through a series of older songs. It took five years between writing and releasing Beginners, and Hutson, who only took up music because it was an easier way to tell stories than his childhood ambition of being a novelist, spent that time building fully realised worlds with a cast of characters: ‘Bobby helped me track you down ‘cos I saw your name in the paper’ from Lose This Number, ‘Charlie’s a fucking tool, says he’s going back to school’ from Twin Soul. Rubberneckers ups the tempo as Hutson observes group behaviours around him leading into a rousing chorus.
Image Copyright: TheNeverPress
After the beautifully delivered but thematically bleak break up note Unforgiveable (original title and central line: I Just Can’t Fucking Do It Anymore), we return to Paradise. The new material has a more direct pop sensibility, and Candyland is probably the greatest example, its verses bouncing along crammed with witty, intricate couplets and a singalong chorus.
The set continues to weave new songs in with old favourites, stately Paradise ballads After Hours and Flamingos sandwiched between Quitters standout Strawberry Lemonade, which starts gently on acoustic guitar before Hutson trades up to electric to deliver a spectacular solo as the song collapses around him, and Get The Old Band Back Together, a comedic tale of former youthful bandmates making another go of it while caught up in adult priorities: ‘I’ve been gigging around and it’s been bumming me out, that suddenly no one wants to play it fucking loud.’
Appropriately, the main set closes on Carousel Horses, the comfortably the loudest song in Hutson’s repertoire with an almost shoegaze edge to the chorus guitar, and sequel to Quitters’ Age Difference. ‘I don’t think you’re stupid, I just knew before you did, now I’m just spinning my wheels’ sings the older half of a lopsided relationship at its dissolution.
He is genial throughout, mocking his band and revealing his slightly morbid fascination with British culture borne of repeat visits, with references to Toby Carvery and Ladbrokes. Hutson returns for an encore of two old favourites, breakthrough single Northsiders and fan request Talk. He’d already played a Rough Trade signing that afternoon, and gives the impression he’d play another hour if time allowed. The crowd, bantering back between songs and singing along to virtually everything, reluctantly let him go; we know he’ll be back. For a man who never intended to make music, his love of performing is irrepressible.
Further Reading!
Christian Lee Hutson – After Hours