James Levy & the Blood Red Rose, 12 Bar Club - review - Music - Arts

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They made a fascinating bundle of contrasts.

Dressed like Bob Dylan on the sleeve of his self-titled 1962 album, Levy was deep-voiced, accompanied by his acoustic guitar and guzzled Guinness while Pierce, pictured, was divine-voiced, instrument-free and sipped water. But whether they sang as one, or, better still, entwined their voices around each other's like old slippers or young lovers, they soared.

Those voices and Levy's songs - mostly taken from forthcoming debut album Pray To Be Free, produced by Coldplay's Guy Berryman - evoked the knowing but spooked tones of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. Sneak Into My Room ("the hit single," she trilled; "the single," he corrected) was a 21st century adultery fable; Hang To Dry was no less despairing for its wry undercurrent and Levy's solo slot Bums In Love was deeper than its title threatened.

The pair's version of The Pierces' Glorious (written by Levy) was slower and more mournful than the sisters' take but Pray To Be Free itself showed that there's more than one radio-friendly arrow in his quiver.

"Thanks for the standing ovation," quipped Pierce as they left. The audience were standing anyway but we knew exactly what she meant...

James Levy & the Blood Red Rose
12 Bar Club
26 Denmark Street
WC2H 8NL