Andrew Wasylyk is the latest project from prolific Dundee based musician Andrew Mitchell, who you might have seen plucking the low notes for Idlewild, fronting The Hazey Janes or even touring as a guitar player with Brighton's own psych-pop veterans Electric Soft Parade in recent years. Tonight was a one-off event as Andrew travelled down south to team up with his old ESP band mates to perform tracks from his beautiful debut solo album Soroky. I got down early to check out The Late Turners, a solo set of lyrical acoustic songs from The Fiction Aisle's guitarist Louis MacGillivray, who started the night off with an appropriately irreverent intensity. His dead-pan quip to the audience as he prepared for his last song, “don't talk amongst yourselves,” said it all really, his delivery demanded focus unapologetically but he was also playful. With my stomach rumbling I had to make my excuses and unfortunately missed Grand Palace's set – a shame as the Americana tinged ballads I've heard on the duos Soundcloud are right up my street. I shall have to keep my eyes peeled for another opportunity!

The music from Soroky is very classic sounding pop, with that lilting rise and fall you find from artists like Roy Orbison, grand dramas with big emotions and a penchant for taking you to unexpected places with an unusual key change. Mitchell's voice is the perfect tool for colouring these narratives, wonderfully sonorous with a soft vibrato and crystal clear pitching. Mitchell's guitar playing is wonderful too, he sells himself short when he goes for his capo halfway through the night and calls it "a talent substitute". At times his playing reminds me of Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear, particularly on the song 'The More I Believe, The Less I Really Know', a stripped back piece that really shows off his taught rhythm playing, enhanced by his choice of guitar – the archtop style Hofner Senator contributed a lot to the classic tones on offer tonight.

It's clear too that their time spent on the road together is still fresh for these guys, with only one rehearsal before the show it's a wonder the Electric Soft Parade (Matthew Twaites on bass, Alex and Thomas White on keyboards and drums respectively) are able to remember the arrangements, let alone put in such a soulful, complimentary performance. It takes a couple of songs for the sound to settle in, but from that point on the band are flying. Tom White in particular seems to be relishing the chance to get behind the drum kit, a role he also played for the recording of Soroky. He's beaming from ear to ear throughout much of the show, masterfully handling a giant shaker made of odds and ends whilst simultaneously holding down a beat. One of the great moments of the night comes when Andrew lets us in on a bit of the love-in between these two song-writers, as he reveals that 'Mr Mitchell' from ESP's last album IDIOTS is in fact an homage to himself. He then proceeds to play the beautiful melodic pop of his response 'Mr White', reminiscing on touring the pubs of Brighton town, and it goes down a treat. I'd say the highlight of the night for me though was a fine rendition of the album's lead single 'Last Of The Loved', with its beautiful timeless melodies and clever changes, I've found it echoing around my head all week. There are no current plans (I'm aware of) to get this quartet together again for more Wasylyk shows, although Andrew has been touring solo, supporting Eleanor Friedberger. I guess you're just going to have to get the album!
Adam Kidd

Website: wasylyk.co.uk
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