The Smoke Fairies are not your usual kind of group. The music produced by Katherine Blamire, Jessica Davies and their backing band defies easy categorisation: a mix of folk (but not in a hippie-with-guitar way) and bluesy Americana with occasional smatterings of rock combine to produce a shivery, soulful sound. This is music filled with winter, best listened to in the woods at night in the freezing cold with a full moon rising (probably).
It was therefore a bit of a shame to see them indoors, in the hot and stuffy auditorium of the Exeter Phoenix. The advantage of the venue is that it is rather small, and so everyone is close to the action and can admire the skill with which the girls play their licks and slides. The guitar work looks pretty complicated, and is perhaps the reason why they never looked like they were enjoying themselves; too much concentration required to crack a smile. They did however engage with the crowd in spurts of banter between songs, revealing at one point that they were tanked up on an odd mix of Lemsip Max and whisky.
Thankfully no hint of a cold was evident in their voices, which are sublime. They complement each other beautifully, weaving their way through luscious harmonies and counter-melodies. Their slightly nervy, Home Counties-accented speaking tones seem jarringly ordinary in comparison.
Normally I prefer music at the rockier end of the spectrum, but the Smoke Fairies work best when pared down. This was illustrated perfectly when the rest of the band went out back, leaving just the two girls on stage to perform the song 'Erie Lackawanna'. A slow and melancholy tale of old age, this was truly haunting. Faster numbers such as 'Hotel Room' were also very good, and provided a welcome change of pace, but lacked the shiver-down-your-spine quality.
Support came from Sea of Bees, whose performance was elevated by the lead singer's unique voice, although it did at times feel like an on-stage therapy session. The music was well done, but not really to my taste. Overall though, the evening was excellent and an absolute bargain at just seven pounds for a ticket.
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