Live Review | Anna B Savage @ Bristol Beacon

George Ward

Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.

Celebrating her new album ‘You & i are Earth,’ Anna B Savage takes over the Beacon’s Lantern Hall for a gorgeous and varied set

Indie folk singer Anna B Savage knows her crowd. In the pub beforehand, a friend shared with me that, as much as she loved her new album, she did miss the anger of previous releases, but of course we’re happy that she’s happy and in love – we’re not monsters.

And then, midway through her set, as she begins to play her newer, more romantic material, Savage reveals just how well she knows us, jokingly sharing that she’s well aware of how she focused so much of her music on the importance of being single before she herself entered into a lovely relationship before this latest record.

Funnily enough, this mix of independence and heartbreak with connection and love makes for a wonderfully complete set, with highs and lows all handled masterfully by Savage and her band. Acoustic moments were fragile, with Anna’s voice somehow even more delicate and controlled than on her records, while louder moments saw the full band combine folk and electronic instrumentation in a fascinating way.

Opening with ‘Agnes,’ we got the first taste of new album ‘You And i are Earth’ and the gorgeous folk textures that it explores. Utilising the full band, the sound in the venue was warm and lush, with Savage impossible to ignore, despite her finding herself to the left of the stage, not centre.

Making her way through her varied discography, highlights included ‘Say My Name,’ with its incredibly satisfying build-up and release bursting to life over the crowd. ‘The Orange’ was the perfect close to the night with its beautiful but understated instrumentation, catchy hook and comforting message: “If this is all that there is, I think I’m going to be fine”.

Anna B Savage handled the task of filling the Lantern Hall masterfully. Her performance was incredibly sincere and her chats in between songs brought us all back down to earth with hilarious honesty. The venue, with its immaculate sound, was the perfect way to experience her music, both new and old, and hearing it all in one place highlighted just how versatile and special an artist Anna has developed into.

Listen to ‘You And i are Earth’ here: