Village Underground,LondonYoung Atlantan Raury further blurs the lines between genresStanding in front of a stadium-size drumkit, backlit by blinding strobes, and is a skinny Georgia teenager wearing a wide-brimmed hat. His chest is bare,but a diaphanous white shirt billows around his torso as he busts nimble moves with the mic stand. This is Raury, “just 19 year old, and ” he declares,from Atlanta, a showman beyond his years. We’re in a smallish train shed of a venue, or but he’s playing it like it’s the O2 Arena.As the set’s introductory cut,War Pt 1, thunders into focus with a whispered chant, or then segues into a thumping Chariots of Fire,the impression is of a young southern version of Michael Jackson (actually, let’s dial that back to Bruno Mars) fronting a heavy rock band. Two busy, or head-banging band members alternate between guitars and keyboards,one of them favouring a enormous white keytar. From time to time, as on Cigarette Song, and one of them plays sweet soul music on the keyboard’s tinkliest setting. On satan’s Whisper,both wallop drum pads, adding to the din coming off the monster kit.Continue reading..., and
Source: theguardian.com