Reviews

Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band

This is becoming a pattern in Reefton now. Fifty plus people came to hear yet another great Arts on Tour performance and got yet another up close, heart felt almost personal experience of a very fine Kiwi entertainer, Caitlin Smith. She on keyboard and vocals was supported very ably by Lance McNicol, electric and acoustic guitar and Steve Cournane, drums, percussion and that really cool Afro-Peruvian instrument the cajon (pronounced cahon) which he played so well. Both of these men received rapturous applause, especially their solo and led breaks.

But Caitlin Smith is also a real star with a terrific natural feeling rapport with her audience complete with very amusing anecdotes between numbers delivered in a vey sharp-witted, matter of fact understated, comfortable Kiwi manner (I’m struggling to pigeon hole this albeit to say it went down very well).

However, the beautifully balanced music with Caitlin’s voice? Wow! She claims to be “Genre Fluid” Definitely a mix of Jazz and folk at least, maybe soul, a hint of gospel? Whatever? It doesn’t matter because her originals and her original arrangements of beautiful covers versions, for me especially the Leonard Cohen ones, were stunning.

Caitlin Smith is also a writer. A poet and a songwriter. She loves poetry and the CD offered for sale in Reefton on Monday evening contains a fold out poster of some of her offerings;

“I crawled through the structure of your songs – Especially the knees

Looking for the reinforcements that hid insecurities”

From Like Sentries Caitlin Smith.

She says that poetry is easier than song-writing but if she finds that hard now, it’s hard to imagine they can get much better from what we have heard of her work so far. But I’ve no doubt they will be especially when her stage confidence also grows?? I say that because she also claims to be uncomfortable in the role of leading the band and the up-front entertainer? Well, if what we experienced was her being unsure of herself, I can’t wait to see her sometime in the future when she feels more at home in such a position.

“I write songs that are virtually impossible to sing.” She told the audience then proceeded to sing them with apparent ease??

Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band is well named too. Caitlin is partially sighted, ‘legally blind’ as she put it but it doesn’t appear to hold her back in any way we noticed.

“Sighted people can make judgements on sight only – without listening” she said. Sadly, we all know the truth in that statement. But what we heard, and saw, on this occasion we judged very positively.

Keith Tonkin 18/5/21