One of the biggest stealth success stories of recent years has been Big Thief, a US four-piece who have blossomed from scratchy beginnings to become one of the most prolific and adored leftfield guitar bands of recent times. On record, it’s not always clear why.
It is often hard to hear the forest for the trees in Big Thief’s music. Immediacy is no guarantor of good art, but Big Thief’s bangers are rare orchids indeed: there’s Paul, from their debut album, 2016’s Masterpiece, which they don’t play tonight. (Admittedly, that’s a boss move.) Not, from Two Hands, one of their twin 2019 albums, was nominated for two Grammys and praised by Barack Obama. It eventually proves pivotal on this first night of a sold out four-night residency in London.
