LIVE REVIEW: BROOKE LAW - NAKED HEART ALBUM LAUNCH WITH KIER - GREEN NOTE - LONDON

It is always heartening to see a long queue snaking along Parkway for a Green Note show, less so when you are nearer the back of it, but a somewhat damp wet Monday evening would see both rooms at the venue sold out. Tonight's TALENTBANQ presentation will see Brooke Law launch her debut album "Naked Heart", in truth it is more than just an album launch, this is the culmination of 2 years or more of effort, and from the moment we enter the venue, there is something special in the air. The venue is full of familiar faces who have been on the journey with Brooke for some time, and a few Americana friends who will make their presence known throughout the evening, all willing her to succeed.

The job of opening the evening would fall to Rotherham born Kier, who #TEAMw21 have been raving about since marking her as one to watch at Buckle & Boots 2024, on the basis of her excellent debut album. The last time we crossed paths was at Country Calling where despite a problematic bandana blowing in the wind, she put on one of our favourite shifts of the whole weekend. Appearing tonight with guitarist Joe, Kier would display all of the talents that attracted us to her in the first place, the command of a good country tune, great lyrics, a wry sense of humour and she can sing a bit! Opening with "We Made It", Kier would play her acoustic guitar while Joe filled out the sound with his electric guitar to great effect.

"You're my oxygen baby - my rock to my roll"

Even finding room for a guitar solo before a final assault on the chorus, it would end with Kier sporting a big smile as she closed out with the title of the song. There was the requisite ominous intro to "Gypsy's Castle" with its gloomy prediction of life expectancy. It was the first single from her debut album, and is played tonight slightly slower than on record giving if it additional aura. With an impressive powerful delivery, it seems remarkable to launch your career with a song that has the chorus

"Would you live like this, if you die at 22?"

For "I'm So Hooked", Joe would ditch his electric guitar, and use Kier's acoustic, while Kier would adopt a thumbs in jeans posture, at least for the first verse. By the second verse she had become Yorkshire's Kate Bush, with hand gestures expressing every line of lyric. There is a touch of classic country in some of Kier's tunes matched to modern writing that makes for a powerful enjoyable mix. She can also mix things up a little, and with guitars returned to their original settings, "Never Be Me" kicked off with a big electric riff for her sassy break up song and there is a total confidence in the way Kier delivers the title, that shows that there is a little Sheffield steeliness ready to be roused given the reason.

With a great stage patter, this will hopefully lead to Kier being more prominent on the London circuit,in time to raise her profile for album two. A glimpse of the next album would come with "Hang Up The Phone", mainly led by Kier's slow acoustic guitar around which Joe would add some atmospheric support, it built to a chorus where Kier really gave her vocals free reign. On first listen this seemed a powerful number worthy of inclusion on her next collection.

One that will definitely be there, is "Twenty Something", which combines pointed lyrics that are relatable to someone you know that will undoubtedly raise a smile set to a glorious tune. A set that flew by in seemingly seconds would close with the excellent "Someone To You", on which Kier paints using a larger palette, the sound seems bigger, anthemic, all that was missing were hands waving mobile phones. If Kier was a "one to watch" in 2024 she's now a "not to be missed" in 2025. Rousing the Green Note into becoming backing singers, the final section would see Joe throw in a trippy guitar solo with Kier then finishing on a soaring high note - fabulous stuff.

For many this may have been their first sighting of Kier, the solid round of applause that greeted the end of her final song, suggested that she made quite the impression on the night and there will no doubt be calls for TALENTBANQ Supremo Ray Jones to bring her back to the capital sooner rather than later.

Ultimately this was to be Brooke Law's night, over the last few years her band has undergone various incarnations, the first time #TEAMw21 saw them they were almost punky and rawkus in their attitude, tonight's crew are more measured, from the drummer dampening his sound via some well placed tea towels, through the bass player, setting a groove for the evening and a guitarist sympathetic to the needs of each song. The lady of the hour would flitter about nervously back and forth in the final ten minutes before kick off, however once she hit the stage any fears dissipated instantly. It may be a coincidence, however it seems that in recording some of the songs Brooke has found a new way to perform them, and in front of her own fans there is no need to go the extra 10 percent to gain peoples attention - she already had that - holding back that tiniest fraction really allows some of the songs to shine brighter than ever.

Her set will start with the band playing with Brooke nowhere to be seen, suddenly an ethereal voice will sound over the PA singing the opening lyrics to "Naked Heart ( Intro)". Suddenly Brooke appears through the curtains to a roaring reception, microphone in hand, in a shimmering silver number, fit for an album launch. Donning her guitar, it is straight into "Real" as the album will be played in full, nearly sequentially. The bass is warm, the drumming is crisp, and the guitar perfectly picked out. There is undoubted self-assuredness about Brooke, shining through as she sings the line "Please Don't Throw It Away"

#TEAMw21 will always take a certain pride in helping to get Brooke to bring back "Excuse Me" into her regular set. Powerful yet restrained, it sounds better than ever, the lyrics are clearer and although the band maybe be quieter the overall effect is far more effective. For "Flying Solo", the band do rock out a little, Brooke will tilt her head from side to side as she sings. The album is sequenced with exact precision and the mood is calmed a little with "Big World", Brooke's message to take time away from the madness of life. Starting initially with just Brooke and her guitar, the band appear gradually to build out the sound.

The opening salvo of songs, pass at such a rate that it seems inconceivable that we are nearly halfway through the record. For "Start Again" the band will leave the stage and the first of the evenings special guests will appear in the shape of Jack Trouble, who both plays on and produces, over half of the album. It's a nice little set piece where Brooke and Jack will step into the audience.

With Brooke holding the mic in her hand this was undoubtedly a special moment in the evening and it showed a different side to Brooke with her giving the most tenderest of deliveries on the songs first live outing.

The band return with the funky bass intro into "Spiritual", it will see them given a chance to rock out on the chorus while Brooke will gyrate while performing tambourine duties. Another song given something of a live funky INXS overhaul is "Villain", the chorus still affording Brooke to power out her extended "Hey Hey Hey"'s to great effect.

The second guest appearance of the evening would come with the arrival of Savannah Gardner, who can bring additional light to the brightest of occasions. With Brooke taking the first verse and Savannah the second, they are able to elevate the song to new levels. With big smiles as they sing, the song ends with them both laughing delightfully.

The funky rock of "If You Go" comes with a punchy chorus and sees Brooke walk to the side of the stage for a little dance.

Another song brought back for the album and reinvigorated is "Bad Tattoo" for which Brooke still inexplicably asks if anyone has a bad tattoo. Fortunately the Green Note audience are restrained enough to not suddenly feel the urge to reveal their tattoos in situ! Now swathed in brooding bass lines, this is pure power pop at its best and it has never sounded better. Unbelievably the final song of the main set was with us for "Freak On" - what is normally the A cappella became a Green Note singalong.

Like Kier, this was closing your main set in anthemic style, The Green Note duly prepared played their part waving their arms. The end was greeted with fulsome cheering.

There was still room for three songs, first being a Miley Cyrus cover of "Midnight Sky" mashed together with Stevie Nicks Edge Of Seventeen" delivered in an Americana style with Brooke channeling her inner Stevie at times. The almost tribal drum intro to "Gypsy Woman" combined with the thumping bass to sound at it's very best, especially when added to with some atmospheric guitar sound. The crowd would happily join in making the encore section a party atmosphere. Brooke would send us off into the night with a wild "Boomerang" where the Green Note would join in with roof raising gusto to a rocking band sound fronted by a soaring vocal. As album launches go, this was pretty much as good as it gets.

Naked Heart is available to stream and purchase.

Photographs by kind permission of Michael Chowne