First appeared on Never Enough Notes on 29 January 2011

The Workshop is underground, tiny and dark like a good venue should be. Just need to ignore the ‘live nudes’ sign and the picture of the topless woman licking a record and it’s pretty much my kind of place.

Poppy and Friends are headlining Folkabout, a night of treats each one with their own twist on the folk genre.

Now, these reviews are normally all about the headliners and likeable singer-songwriter Richard Lobb and country crazies The Wagon Tales were great but Misty Miller really is ‘one to watch’. The 16 year old has a hauntingly soulful voice and her ukulele backed songs hold the room in silence.

While Misty is all about the sugary sweetness, Poppy and Friends’ brand of anti-folk has a slightly more shambolic edge while Poppy herself has a voice that could be compared to Alanis Morissette but with a little less angst…and from Bristol.

The double bass and drums are intense but slightly overwhelming. This is the second time I have seen this band and the second time I have strained to try and hear exactly what Poppy is singing which is a shame as, after listening to the band recorded, the lyrics are one of their major strengths. Songs like Tuesday have a comical honesty and you can imagine yourself right there in the story, which is what I love about folk music.

I think I must be going soft in my old age but there’s something about really sweet lyrics that I cant get enough of at the moment: Mandy’s Ice Cream has me in a nostalgic chuckle as she talks about the ice cream tax her mum used to make her and her sister pay to her when they were little – a lick of ice cream and half a flake.

7/10