Dixie Ernill finds indie veterans the Catenary Waves still cutting it live at Gullivers in Manchester.
Amelia Fletcher has been on my radar for about twenty-five years, stretching back to her days in the Sarah Records band Heavenly. The fact that she also sang backing vocals on a number of tracks by the Brilliant Corners, most notably in their epic 1988 single 'Why Do You Have to Go Out with Him, When You Could Go Out With Me?', is also a massive plus for me. That said, I hadn’t been overly taken by the Catenary Wires’ debut mini-album 'Red Red Skies' or indeed the clutch of gigs I had seen them at, mainly in Bristol, when they performed as a two-piece. I had, however, quite liked the one-off single they had released on WIAIWYA in 2018 – 'Was That Love?' and decided to give them one more try on the live circuit. I am glad I did as new album 'Til The Morning', which makes up the majority of the set, is a serious stride in the right direction and performing live with additional musicians including Andy Lewis (of Spearmint fame) and Fay Hallam really helped to bring the songs to life. Even the plodding 'Intravenous' from the debut album is transformed into a far more enjoyable beast in the hands of a full band. Also, whilst I enjoy Amelia’s vocal style, it is the cracked baritone or partner Rob Pursey that catches my ear as he takes a more prominent role within the songs. 'Hollywood' and 'Half-Written' are early contenders for standouts, before the closing trio of 'Love on the Screen', 'Sixteen Again” and 'Dream Town' just about eclipse them. An album is bought at the conclusion and faith is restored.