Review by Samuel J.Fell.
Hat Fitz & Cara – At The Couch Sessions – LIVE (Independent)
As a musical duo, Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson have long been an established part of the Australian (not to mention the UK) roots scenes, as dynamic-yet-laconic as anyone plying the folk/blues trade, accomplished and downhome and all in between; never flashy yet always displaying talent in spades, this pair epitomise the very nature of the music they’re an ingrained part of, living the reality of roots musicians and artists within an ever-changing world.
Here, via their sixth release together, they display all this in the live setting, an intimate gathering at their house back behind the Sunshine Coast, a simple affair comprising Fitz and Robinson, along with Andrew ‘Mouse’ Szumowski on Hammond, and engineers Paulie B and Steve Summers curating a set that, “unfolds like a heartfelt conversation between friends.” And this isn’t merely press release hyperbole – as anyone who has seen the pair live, and in a setting as close-knit as this one, knows, their sets are renowned for this sort of atmosphere; more a gathering of likeminded souls, a couple of whom are playing instruments, as opposed to the standard artist/audience interaction.
And indeed, even listening via the digital files, it feels like one is in the room with them, perched somewhere nearby, perhaps a cold one in hand, not just listening but participating as it all unfurls and you’re invited even further in than perhaps you already were. The set, which begins with the slow blues of Jessie Mae Hemphill’s ‘Go Back To Your Used To Be’, almost didn’t materialise, being delayed by the ubiquitous south-east Queensland weather, a storm almost putting the kibosh on the whole thing, but as it often does in that part of the world, it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and so we’re on.
From the slow-burning, hill country opener, Fitz’s guitar low and dirty, the pair move into folk territory, one of a slew of originals that adorn At The Couch Sessions, via ‘These Times’, all sultry flute with the guitar in the background slightly reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ and Robinson’s voice riding breezily over the top. Indeed, her vocal is a high-point of the record, in places reminiscent of Susan Tedeschi in its delivery, but always very Robinson, whether soaring on the gospel-esque ‘Hold On’, or soft and warm / loud and proud on the blues-grooving ‘I Feel Good’.
Fitz’s guitar also, as one would expect, plays a pivotal role on At The Couch Sessions, effortlessly backing Robinson’s voice, or in equal part leading the charge. He excels in the hill country proponent of the record (the aforementioned Hemphill track, along with a rendition of Robert Belfour’s ‘Pushin’ My Luck’, which builds and chugs along with reckless sonic abandon), and brings a quiet power to slower numbers like ‘Chikko’s Song’, ‘Marvin Say’ and ‘Try’.
Aside from the hill country injection, Fitz and Robinson cover Shirley Caeser’s ‘I Feel Good’, which really highlights the range of Robinson’s voice; and the Bonnie Raitt version of Steve Winwood’s ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’, which employs again subtle use of the flute and Fitz’s acoustic guitar mastery. And in the originals, the message that pulsates outward is one of positivity, of kindness, of the need to stand up in a world where values are waning and the idea of just being nice is in seemingly short supply.
Add to all this the extremely tasteful Hammond work of Szumowski on a smattering of tracks (the subtlety of the instrument on ‘Chikko’s Song’ in particular, highlights Szumowski’s immense skill), and you’ve got a bluesy, folky, good-time of an album, one which closes with long-time live favourite, ‘Power’, that has feet hitting the floor all about the room and hands a-clapping in compliment with Robinson’s driving beat and powerful vocal and Fitz’s wild brumby-guitar line and gruff-yet-sweet vocal harmonising as Szumowski cuts loose. At The Couch Sessions is a solid record, which shows exactly where this pair are at, which is of course, at the top of their game.