“Per omnia” in Islington Assembly Hall, the stage decorated with flowers and twinkly lights, an all-age, all-style audience waited with an air of anticipatory promise for an evening of song, story and sentiment … and were richly rewarded.
Opening for Joshua Radin, Rachael Yamagata, hair adorned with a floral garland to match her keyboard, began her instantly warm connection with the crowd through humour before announcing the beginning of (in her own words) “devastatingly dark and sad music.”
And so it began… seven gloriously emotional, tender songs where Rachael’s gorgeous voice entwined her trademark ‘heartbreak’ way to our hearts and minds, singing about connection, love, loss and regret- but ultimately peace and joy.
The music echoes the imagery of her lyrics"
Rachael’s first song began the showcase of her impressive use of dynamics; she has the same depth of tone pianissimo and fortissimo and can switch across the whole dynamic range with ease. Rachael uses her velvety voice to convey her wish to soothe us; “I want to heal you, “she tells us, in the middle of her set. And heal us she does…
Her keyboard’s existence, disguised by flowers and lights, is easy to forget- so much does she become one with her instrument. Her melodies meander across key signatures, major and minor, and are underpinned by repeated rhythmic chords and beautiful counterpoint. The music echoes the imagery of her lyrics- the ostinati patterns, the insistent pulse, the pushing toward chord resolution.
After the first song, Rachel comes to the front of the stage and lays down, gazing into an undisputedly gorgeous photographer’s lens, asking him to capture her like this… perhaps this, a demonstration of electric moments of chance and possibility, a visual image reflected in so many of her songs.
In between the songs was warm connection with us; she manages to have what seems like conversations with the audience- except, of course, they are one-sided. This does not matter; Rachael has comfortable monologue for everyone.
Through her lyrics, Rachael encourages us to accept our flaws; to reconcile the potential with the actual, to “love in our circle” but to “branch out and heal; support the whole world.”
Rachael Yamagata played Islington Assembly Hall on 25th April 2022 supporting Joshua Radin
Read Joshua Radin review HERE
Live images and words Copyright of 1st 3 Magazine
Not to be reproduced without permission.