It was back in 2009 that Anais Mitchell last performed here at the venue – no more than two-thirds full – delivering a stunning solo set of largely finger-picked tunes on her acoustic guitar. A veritable bag of controlled energy, mildly stomping and jerking around, it was my formal introduction to one of the most talented singer songwriters of recent times.

Fast forward seven years, and armed with a growing popularity and acclaimed catalogue, she re-visited the venue having apparently specifically asked to play here. Perplexing in one respect, in that the promoter of the gig reckoned she could have sold the show three times over. But in the context of this being another solo show (as opposed to a band line up which she has brought with her on the last few visits) and the fact she has no new product to bring to the table, it was understandable. For tonight she seemed to be enjoying the warm informality of the evening, in a city she knows well, with a few local friends she knows very well too. Delving into her back catalogue, she delivered a set of songs that had the audience entranced and beguiled for the duration.

She likes Brighton, too, and enjoyed showing it off to her three-year-old daughter, here on tour with her. “The Brighton Pier is pretty impressive from afar. Maybe it’s better from afar,” she quipped, sounding very relaxed and at ease in her surroundings, accompanied by two old Brighton friends, musicians Sharon Lewis and James Smith, who both joined her on stage for a couple of songs.

Over her career folk music has become an increasingly important part to Mitchell’s work. Tonight she delved into songs from Child Ballads, an album she made in collaboration with Jefferson Hamer, including a solo rendition of ‘Clyde’s Waters’, a song indebted to English folk singer Nic Jones. She also performed songs from her best known work, the folk-opera Hadestown, and at one point invited James Smith on stage together they duetted beautifully on ‘Wedding Song’. Later on she performed a Paul Brady song “The reason why I got into overseas folk music in the first place,” she informs, ‘Mary and the Soldier.’

Midway through the set she decided to ask for song requests from the floor, the resulting barrage of suggestions taking her aback. She obliged with stirring renditions of ‘Shepherd’, from her Last Man In America album, ‘Changer ‘from 2007’s The Brightness, and going back even further for ‘Cosmic American’, taken from 2004’s Hymn For The Exiled.

Joining her towards the end of the set was the exceptional young folk singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Jarlath Henderson, who performed a largely melancholic set of folk-based songs in support, utilising an array of traditional instrumentation, along with electronic paraphernalia, including a loop station, in transporting some of these ancient songs into the 21st century. With Mitchell he sang and played a large wooden whistle, Mitchell once again showing how she is not only totally comfortable as a solo artist, but one who is also at ease with with whoever joins her the stage.

On the live stage, Mitchell’s unfussy, yet melodious guitar playing, is perfectly synced to her idiosyncratic voice, the ‘liveness’ of the songs coming through more sharply than on record, helped along by her gently live-wire presence. Despite being grounded in folk, Americana and traditional song-smithery, Mitchell aptly demonstrated why she is one of the most compelling and original singer songwriters of the moment.
Jeff Hemmings