A little versatility goes a long way. This is especially true in today’s music market, which is drowning in mediocre singer/songwriters.
But an artist can distinguish herself from the herd by demonstrating a wealth of musical possibilities. Scottish firecracker KT Tunstall did just that at the Orpheum last night with an unplugged set that yielded marvelous results.
Tunstall opened with “Miniature Disasters,” a sturdy tune built of chunky riffs from her 2004 debut, “Eye to the Telescope.” But more revealing was how well “Little Favours,” from her latest CD “Drastic Fantastic,” lent itself to the pared-down motif. That the song came across as stunningly as it did minus the new CD’s slick production value attests to the durability of Tunstall’s songwriting. Playing a 12-string guitar, her vocals portrayed road-worn huskiness and a bit of Americana-styled grit, but she remained flexible; during the tender reading of “Other Side of the World” she hit all the high notes.
Her four-piece band improvised ingeniously on Tunstall’s material: keyboardist Kenny Dickenson played marimba on the recent single “Hold On,” and added a muted horn solo to the New Orleans-meets-Nashville feel of “Ashes.” Bassist Arnulf Lindner contributed a colorful kazoo to “Funnyman,” which also found guitarist Sam Lewis switching to mandolin duties, which he reprised during a klutzy but well-intentioned encore cover of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.”
A holdover from her early solo shows, Tunstall made good use of her loop-and-pedal skills, building “Black Horse & the Cherry Tree” from the ground up while the crowd cheered her on. During the latter half of “Beauty of Uncertainty” she used the same trick to cook up a flesh-raising layered vocal.
The Orpheum wasn’t quite full for her Boston return, and “Drastic Fantastic” hasn’t sold nearly as well as her debut. But, dressed in a white V-neck T-shirt, skin-tight black jeans with boots and hoop earrings, Tunstall seemed not to care. And while those who came looking for a full-on rock show were likely disappointed, she owes no apologies for switching things up; on the contrary, being able to change gears will help keep her in the game.
Accompanied only by his guitar and guest keyboardist/vocalist Fiona Melady, Irish lad Paddy Casey opened with a set of passionately sung numbers that revealed capable pipes and a penchant for palatable melancholy.
ctreacy2003@yahoo.com
