Brighten The Corners Review

“His melodies form imagery of far-out ventures and dancing barefoot in the sand.”

By Sadie Rycraft

The momentum behind this vibrant and harmonious weekend at St Stephen’s Church was hugely encouraging, with a large majority of people feeling that this was exactly what Ipswich needed. An architecturally remarkable building acting as a space to attract all ages, all people, in the very centre of town - with a huge focus on music and togetherness. There has been a truly supportive response from the community, business owners and music lovers alike.

Friday night of Brighten The Corners was kicked off by Collars, Bury Sound 2022 winners and Cambridgeshire duo, Dan and Kane. They’re indie driven by vocals, guitar and pared-back drums. Kane plays guitar and beats at the same time; thanks to some drums he’s engineered to play with just his feet! An hour later, and a few beers in, newly formed quartet from Manningtree Anna’s Bones took to the stage with their experimental alternative rock. With the church at full capacity, and the multi-coloured lights like a kaleidoscope on the centuries-old ceiling, the atmosphere was definitely special. Their music is rich in melody and had the crowd full of energy.

The final band of the opening night was Bull, an indie-rock band making ‘music that they want to hear’. They’re inspired by their musical heroes, such as Pavement, Yo La Tengo and The Pixies. The band came together through a mix of friendships and happenstance. “Bull simultaneously melt a cynic's heart and deepen an optimists appreciation of the world".

The end to Friday night was hopeful. A very happy audience with bellies full of beer, spilling out of the church doors into the centre of Ipswich, eager to keep the buzz of the night going. It’s not hard to imagine this being a weekly occurrence, once the venue is permanently open as a venue and bar.

Saturday was an earlier start, with Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire band Suds opening at midday. The four piece indie band boasts delicate vocals with Brit-pop-esque guitar riffs. Their music filled the vastness of the church beautifully; their coming-of-age sound is made up of strong and memorable rhythms that are always crowd-pleasers.

Following Suds, Producer Forrest Moon and wordsmith Rye Shabby perform as Soundscape Green; a UK based hip-hop duo using jazzy and ambient beats alongside rich lyricism. Their sound is modern, yet the timelessness of jazzy samples makes them appeal to broader audiences. Their sound is similar to Pinty, p-rallel and Finn Foxell.

As the clock struck 2, St Stephens suddenly filled with blue and white scarfs; and lots of children. Bessie Turner, originally from Suffolk, returned to her hometown to play her original songs that have been supported by the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music. Her music has an essence of girl-punk and passionate yet angelic angst. The crowd was packed for this, reaching near capacity again.

Bessie was followed by Noon Garden, otherwise known as Charles Prest. British born with Jamaican and Nigerian roots, he creates exotic disco-funk psychedelia influenced by 10 years of globe-trotting and island living. His melodies form imagery of far-out ventures and dancing barefoot in the sand. With bouncy vocals, exciting riffs, and the afternoon sun gleaming through the stained glass windows, so dramatically, his performance was a testimony to his unique sound and dedication to his music.

The penultimate act of the weekend was female-fronted, alternative rock band Prima Queen. They combine nostalgic lyrical imagery with gritty, bittersweet melodies and influences of escapism. The songwriting duo and best friends Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden who front the band are a force to be reckoned with - producing ethereal, story-telling songs with fiery climaxes. ‘Milk Teeth’ beckons the voice of a jilted lover, with a fragile opening becoming a punching electric guitar solo with the lyrics ‘does she know the smell of the shampoo in your hair? Does she lie next to you in her matching underwear?’ over and over again. Their performance was spectacular and their harmonies matched perfectly with the acoustics of St Stephen’s tall ceilings.

Saturday’s headliner was the talented Shunaji, award-winning producer, rapper and singer-songwriter based in London. As a producer, she is inspired by electronic music, trip-hop and hip-hop, and blending synth sounds. Firmly creating her own brand of genre-bending music across the hip-hop and soul spectrum, Shunaji has an unrivalled thirst for knowledge and bags of creativity. She was a perfect ending act for the weekend, playing a couple of covers by the likes of Lauryn Hill and Gorillaz that had a huge crowd up on their feet dancing, drinks in hand.