Music / Reviews
Review: Jasmine.4.T, Thekla – ‘The epitome of joy’
Thekla hosts a night filled with queer joy, both an example and a celebration of the incredible LGBTQ+ community we have in Bristol.
Jasmine.4.T was welcomed once again to her pressure-roots of Thekla alongside two emerging indie artists Godspeed Jones and Bristol’s Pem, and graced the stage with booming pride, charisma and talent.
Godspeed Jones no doubt has an ethereal voice and presence on stage – her voice is definitely entrancing. With a very quiet attentive audience, her gentle melodic fingerpicking certainly sets an undertone of comfort while handling dark current issues with subtlety.
Godspeed Jones is currently working on their debut album while completing a masters in music performance and supporting Jasmine.4.T. on the Tranarchy World Tour
Godspeed Jones set the tone for the evening: intimate and kind yet overwhelmingly full of queer triumph over the hardships faced by the community in the current cultural climate.
With nods to Adrianne Lenker, Lizzy McAlpine and a repetitive tonality of Sufjan Stevens, she captures the warmth that we so crave from acoustic indie music as winter sets in – though parts perhaps sound overproduced with tracked backing vocals and repeats.
Godspeed talks of her upcoming EP hinted during the set, a must listen for those who are interested in the gentle musicality of modern acoustic indie.
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Following, Pem is joined by fellow local musician Siân Magill (Aellin) on cello, the pair completely in sync with their natural, earthy sound. Opening their first song with an underscoring of beach sounds, they allowed the audience to breathe in their music.
Youthful and innocent yet poetic lyricism undercuts the powerful sound they create: it’s hard to believe this is the work of only two live artists.
With a similarly ethereal tone as the recently risen-to-fame AURORA, they ebb and flow through stories of family and love like a sort of mature lullaby. the whole room is on board.
Pem and cellist Magill admirably represented Bristol in the lineup
Gratitude must be given for their balance: mastering control between the light and shade of voice, the cello, solely, uplifting the sound to something so orchestral.
It’s a beautiful sound, unexpectedly catching at the back of the throat, and the whole room is on board.
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Based in Manchester, Jasmine.4.T is an alternative indie artist signed to Saddest Factory Records, a label linked to the famous Phoebe Bridgers and Boygenius.
Performing this year on the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury festival alongside Lucy Dacus, she is known for her intimate storytelling of queer relationships and trans activism.
Jasmine.4.T is the epitome of joy. From start to finish, both artistically and emotionally, she embodies the spirit of an artist who is exhilarated by performance. There is not a moment where she isn’t smiling, and it is impossible not to smile alongside her.
‘Embodies joy’ – Jasmine.4.T radiates infectious happiness throughout the show
Comprised of beautifully understated acoustic songs and short bursts of fiery guitar solos, Jasmine takes us on a ride through everyday experiences enlightened by romantic and platonic relationships, a subject matter seemingly neglected in modern music as we idolise heightened emotional states like breakups, cheating and marriage.
The audience is transported to simple kitchens, walks in the park and boiling the kettle, translating these intense feelings in our real lives, crafting a comfortable atmosphere where these experiences are shared rather than explained.
Despite stripping circumstances of songs back to the bare bones, Jasmine’s instrumentalism is nothing short of simple.
Airy interludes of guitar and synthesiser give hints of Radiohead’s more subtle songs, and can also easily dissolve into a massive, more classical alt-rock sound of electric guitars, bass and thrashing drums before you even notice a shift.
The lighting design of this set is also lovely, visually reinforcing the quick changes in tempo and subject that Jasmine eloquently describes.
The night on the boat was a celebration of queer joy and triumph
This was a gig that showcased queer joy and love in the everyday: not abstract but real and profound, a trait which should be highlighted in the upcoming indie music scene.
An incredible atmosphere, and a beautiful evening. As Jasmine said, “You have shown me divinity in our comaraderie.”
All images: Poppy Beresford
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