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Review
of 08/05/07 Half Moon, Putney
Jim Clements and the Right to Die are a mixed bag of
personalities who come together to make a striking whole;
from Maya Ahuja's dramatic and sometimes eerie violin lines
to Jim Clement's hypnotic vocals, the overall impression of
the band is an intoxicating fusion of folk, indie, blues
and rock; imagine the Waterboys mixed with the Pogues and
Dylan.
Clement's lyrics are entrancing and well-crafted. His
tendency towards the macabre (Coming Up Roses) and
infidelity (I've Always Been Faithful) is evident in the
older material they bring out tonight, while their newer
songs reflect on some of the quirks of religion (St
Christopher's Travelling Blues - a song about a saint whose
sanctity was withdrawn who allegedly carried an infant
Jesus across a river).
The room was held captive under their spell for the
duration of their set, the songs interspersed with a humble
sense of humour and the feeling that the band are a good
bunch of friends who believe in what they're doing. Judging
by the audience reaction tonight, Jim Clements and his band
are making some pretty big waves in the overcrowded ocean
of singer-songwriters; maybe there's room at the top for
one more yet.
4.5 Stars
BBC Collective