By Darren Grayer.
Sunday night saw Romsey singer/songwriter Lucy Kitchen headline Heartbreakers Bar for the release of her latest and third album In The Low Light (1/3/26).
Written in the aftermath of tragically losing her husband, Stephen, to cancer in October 2022, it’s a heart-wrenching and stark piece of work that is beautifully delivered and offers some hope and warmth to the listener and has gained Lucy some glowing reviews leading up to its official release, as well as airplay on Radio 2.
The small Heartbreakers stage is pretty much full to the brim with instruments, with a five-piece backing band consisting of drums, double bass, cello, lead and acoustic guitars, keyboards, and even a pedal steel for good measure. So great care is taken as Lucy, and friends get themselves into place ready to play.
Opener Blue Light is a perfect reflection of the album, a gentle ballad with the opening line s-” Baby, you’re gone, into the blue light, I pray you will keep safe from harm”.
The lyrics immediately hit home with the audience, and you can already sense a feeling of affection between them and the artist. That also shows after the song has ended, applause dies down and Lucy Kitchen immediately changes guitar, to find the electric needs a bit of tuning. There’s almost total silence. “Crikey, you lot are incredibly quiet!” she chuckles.
Milk And Honey and The Way We Were follow in succession. Both tug at the heartstrings in the most extraordinary way possible. The combination of Lucy’s gently picked guitar, with Marie Anna Smith’s sublime work on the cello, is something of exquisite beauty.
Sun To My Moon is the first step away from the new album and is the title track from Lucy’s 2017 album. A song about relationships that comforts and fills you with warmth.
The same can be said of Red Skies, which has a more up-tempo country feel to it with Michael Davies’s excellent pedal steel playing coming more to the fore, and a message suggesting that letting yourself go every now and then is good, but not always the easiest thing to do.
Chemo Song tells its own story with Lucy reflecting on the hours spent by Stephen’s bedside as he tried to recover from the intense treatment he received at the time.
“Feels like we’ve been holding our breath all winter long, holding our breath, while we wait for the snow. But I love him so, I’m not ready to let him go,” are lyrics that lay bare all types of emotions.
The Heartbreakers audience is totally captivated by the raw beauty of it all, the intensity of songs that deserve absolute attention. Music that effortlessly steps between folk, Americana, chamber pop and country.
Sunny Days is appropriate given today (March 1st) is the officially the first day of Spring and feels like there’s suddenly a ray of light appearing from the darkest of tunnels, ironically followed by September’s Come.
In My Corner has echoes of First Aid Kit ( I would happily listen to them recite the local phone directory) with another piece of up-tempo pedal steel laden country, harnessed with the stunning vocal harmonies of Lucy and Marie, not for the first time, it should be said.
The set comes to an end with one of the albums many highlights, The Boatman, a song that gently builds and features a quite hauntingly beautiful chorus,
“Take me down to the riverside, lay me out and let my bones dry, I will see you on the other side. Leave me here while the waters rise. Lay me out, I’m waiting for the boatman to see me to the other side, the other side.”
Michael Davies’ wonderful electric guitar solo brings the song to a fitting crescendo and pretty much raises the roof on Heartbreakers. Right from song one it’s felt like a very special gathering. I’ve been to Heartbreakers on so many occasions and felt different emotions, usually those of satisfaction and joy, but I can’t recall witnessing a more intensely beautiful and engaging hour from any artist.
The crowd want more and after Lucy’s excellent band, Patrick Kenneally (drums and keyboard, both at the same time in a couple of songs!), Tali Trow (guitar and keys), Jon Thorne (double bass) along with Michael Davies leave the stage, she and Marie perform Blue Eyes, from debut album Waking. The resonating sound of cello and acoustic guitar side by side with another pitch perfect vocal delivery top things off in the most sublime way imaginable.
Local country/bluegrass five- piece Lost Post provided fine support earlier in the evening with an uplifting set, the focal point of which was some delightful vocal harmonies and top-quality slide/steel guitar playing.
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