The North Stage at Sound City was the only outdoor stage, except for the main Atlantic stage, so the crowd Natalie McCool managed to bring to it on a chilly May evening was a testament to her beautiful voice and her local kudos.
She had an uphill battle to be heard, fighting the sound from The Cribs on the main stage, her soft, impassioned vocals suited to more intimate settings. Once the music from the main stage was over, it was far easier to hear the vocal excellence and sparse but effective electronic backing which Natalie and her two companions brought to the festival. With tracks like ‘Pins’, the new single ‘O Danger’ and a new track ‘Fortress’, Natalie brought the perfect pitch and range of her vocals to the appreciative crowd, who were obviously fans of her music already. A favourite of mine was ‘Just Let Me Go’, a song with soft melodies and a forceful chorus, also featuring an electronic interlude that really added to the track. The set finished with ‘Cardiac Arrest’, another winner with its soft pop rhythms. The crowd obviously could have stood in the cold all night listening to Natalie by the reception she got at Sound City. She is a stalwart of the current Liverpool music scene and looks set to enjoy success that reaches much further than the city alone.
RIFFED's Rating: 9/10
Listen to Natalie McCool via YouTube: