Paper Cranes with White Rabbit Black Monkey & Evan Sinton @ Wine Cellar, Auckland on 13 August 2014
The much anticipated August night had arrived, Paper Cranes, White Rabbit Black Monkey & Evan Sinton were playing at the Wine Cellar on K road. I was freaking out a bit because I was running a bit late… when I arrived everyone was outside socializing as if if nothing else was going on so I asked a few people when it starts… Turns out that the event was running a bit late too so essentially I arrived just in time.
First up it was a personal friend of mine RJ being the mastermind behind White Rabbit Black Monkey. WRBM is an open book, Every time I see RJ behind a microphone he has a different story to tell and he always manages to draw in my undivided attention. WRBM is known as an open collaboration space for various creative minds to colab with each other and created a tasty blend of some pretty amazing music, What I've always liked about RJ is that he writes songs that are so, Metta. Singing about his mindset when certain things happen, it almost seems as if he writes the first thing that he thinks about when he faces something, It's so honest and is definitely something I look out for when I listen to singer/songwriters. Another thing I loved about the set was how intimate and warm he was with the crowd. He's up there on the stool but so is everyone else in the room, he talks to people and interacts with the crowd at the same time as enduging everyone with the meaning of the song/story he's doing. It was a great set with a lovely flow of songs varying from some up beat major chord songs to some vary dark, ominous style acoustic folk.
Next up was the awe-inspiring Paper Cranes who will undoubtedly blow your mind every time you watch them or listen to their album. Not necessarily just for their musical talents, but also for their style, creativity, vibe and their connection with each other musically. Paper Cranes are an acoustic/folk inspired band that has been filling hearts with their warm poetry and guitar/piano melodies since 2011 and haven't stopped since. I was curious to see what it would sound like considering this time round it was just the two founding members with most of the band missing since the last time I saw them it was a full band. I found myself a comfortable seat and I let the music into my mind as it resonated in the room. First thing that I noticed is that they put so much soul their music so much that as a reaction everyone else who listens to it feels the same passion. Their poetry that goes with the music is quite perfect for the genre. I felt as if they write songs about things that directly happened to them but in a way left a lot for the audience to draw some kind of message or some sort of metaphor. One of the things that I loved most was that all of the musicians could play more than one instrument, and they did! One song could be just guitar & piano, the next could be piano and melodica then the next would be a guitar and a flute. I would honestly forever go out of my way to see these guys play anyway.
During the intermission between the last two band I got a chance to speak to some of the artists that played that night and everyone was so nice and it was obvious the Wine Cellar was the perfect place to hold such an event, considering it's whole alternative, classy yet underground vibe. Pretty much everyone that I spoke to that night agreed that all of those acts were great.
Last up was Evan Sinton, A talented singer/songwriter that I've never actually heard of before. Talented more in terms of the beautiful poetry he sung out and the guitar melodies he was laying on top. Despite the fact that Evan is in my opinion quite talented but I personally felt as if his particular style of singing has already been heard many times before, It's not that I don't appreciate it. I just think I've heard this style of Indie acoustic folky almost hipsterish kinda voice in too many indie solo artists lately. That aside though, he's was really creative in terms of the relationship of the music and his poetry. His guitar set this nice, slow, patient pace to the song that really sets the mood for his songs perfectly. All of this smooth instrumentation created a nice foundation for his poetic stories which are essentially what had my attention. They're all heart breaking, thoughtful and relatable to. I do wish that at times that Evan's songs were a bit more intelligible and varied. I like this guy but to be honest i felt a little bored during the set because it was almost as if every song was sung at the same wavelength. I would love to hear some more variations in Evans voice and his guitar melodies.
Overall it was a fantastic night, filled with good vibes, great music and even greater people in the perfect venue for the occasion. If you ever get the chance to go to one of these shows with any of these bands, Go see them!
With songs that ponder the meaning of life, love, and our fleeting existence in this beautiful world, Paper Cranes' music is warm, yet melancholy.
Paper Cranes weave their stories into captivating and dynamic live performances in songs that move between delicacy and outright abandon.
Husband-and-wife team Fraser and Naomi Browne are the driving force behind the group, and the music shows touches of their upbringing, a mixture of Japanese, Swedish, Australia and NZ. The band's music delves into themes of togetherness and relationships, the echoes that pull us together and send us apart. In its darkness and lightness, Voices is about doubt and freedom, the changing seasons, the decisions that lead us, the lies we’re told and the search for truth, while The Road Home explores themes of healing and recovery, and how each journey can lead us to unexpected yet welcome change.