Live review from Girls with Guitars #10
1. 起床歌 Get Up
2. 時刻 Timing
3. Grey is the new blue
4. You
5 麵包圈啟示錄 Bagel Inspiration
非常適合作為第一支樂隊演出，曲目編排次序相當不錯，雖然只有結他和人聲，卻帶有驚喜。Timing最能夠展現樂隊過人之處，結他既不會流於掃簡單和弦，亦令主唱聲線突出，轉音位技巧成熟，顯然對聲線極有掌握力。Grey is the new blue旋律不錯、情感亦相當充足豐富，但整體過於單薄拖沓。同時，亦礙於樂隊走這種勵志結他彈唱路線，風格未有太大突破，而且聽到第三四首，已並無太大驚喜之處，變得可預計地沉悶而單一。
– 傑仔
The atmosphere at The Underground nights is always strong – and Girls with Guitars was no exception. Long-standing folk duo Winter Bagels kicked off the showcase with a collection of five charming ditties. Though at times the softly spoken band struggled to be heard above the chattering punters at the back of the room, their set was soulful and warm, inviting listeners in like a campfire gathering.
Chill opener Get Up had a flavour of fellow Hong Kong folk duo Lil Ashes in its beautiful harmonising and added a charming touch with its kazoo interlude. The band then introduced themselves as Cup on the left and Kaki on the right. Cup then explained their band name: ‘winter’ comes from both singers being born in winter and starting their band in 2006, and ‘bagels’ is a reference to one of their favourite foods.
Cup then said that next song, Grey is the New Blue, was about one of her friends being upset about the current state of affairs in Hong Kong and deciding to move away. She held the spotlight with melancholic chords and lyrics in English, before being joined by Kaki for the chorus. It’s rare to find a song like this: charged with real, heartfelt emotion without being draped in saccharin melodrama. Cup’s raw voice channelled The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan and sad chord changes evoked Radiohead.
Next song You was described as a love story by Kaki, but then Cup cut in to say it wasn’t a love story because it never happened. After the chuckles from the crowd faded away, the pair performed a gently picked, softly sweet song that echoed Laura Marling in its sparseness. A ‘lalala’ refrain was simple, yet catchy, while strumming built in intensity to deliver the full emotional clout of the song. Cup played the rhythms while Kaki soloed. It was stunning.
Cup thanked the crowd for coming out and announced their last song Bagel Inspiration was their “theme song”. Simple tapping and picking and fragile yet powerful dual vocals harked back to Faye Wong’s mid-90s music. Kaki delivered sunny chords as the song evolved into a kind of Hawaiian ditty: perfect for a desert island and a strong sign-off on a set that served up a well-needed calm amid the chaos.
– El Jay
