Review: Abigail Lapell and Steph Cameron at Cambridge Junction
The audience at the Cambridge Junction were treated to a Canadian ‘double-header’ on Monday, 12 May, when folk/Americana singer-songwriters Steph Cameron and Abigail Lapell performed at the venue - the second date of a short UK tour which had begun the previous night in Birmingham.
Up first was Steph Cameron, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, singing and playing guitar (and occasionally harmonica), backed by a drummer and a bass player and joined by Abigail on harmonies and occasionally guitar.
Steph has a beautiful voice and it was complemented superbly by Abigail’s harmony vocals.
Her songs moved from reflective electric folk to more upbeat Americana and standouts among them were the toe-tapping Seventeen, the melodic, Fleetwood Mac-esque Rain, and the catchy Summer Song.
She revealed that most of the tracks she was playing were from her latest album, Blood Moon, released in April, and that prior to its release she had “taken time off for motherhood”.
The album has received a lot of praise. The Rocking Magpie called it “nostalgic and thoroughly modern Canadian folk that will win your heart in an instant”, while At the Barrier described Blood Moon as “crafted, thoughtful, and quietly intense”.
In the second half, the two artists switched places, with Abigail Lapell, a three-time Canadian Folk Music Award-winner, taking centre stage and Steph Cameron - whom Abigail later introduced as her “right-hand woman” - on harmony vocal duty.
More talkative between songs than Steph (though that’s not a criticism), Abigail proved herself to be an entertaining and amusing speaker, as well as a first-rate singer-guitarist-harmonica.
“I’m from Southern Ontario, from a small town called Toronto, maybe you know it?,” she said.
She noted that Steph’s baby, whom Steph had referenced in her set, was seven months old. “Should I not have said that, was that a spoiler?!,” joked the talented entertainer.
Abigail, who describes her sound as “a more electrified version of folk”, revealed that she also has a child of a similar age - and that their babies were on tour with them. “They’re buddies - for now,” she said.
She announced that she had CDs for sale in the foyer, adding: “If you’re too young to know what CDs are, I also have 12-inch vinyl.”
Songs in Abigail’s outstanding set that I especially enjoyed included the groovy Wait Up, which she dedicated “to anyone in a dysfunctional relationship”, the gorgeous, bluegrass-esque Down By the Water, the soaringly upbeat foot-stomper Rattlesnake (on which she got the crowd enthusiastically singing along and clapping), and the tender and heartfelt closing number, Stars.
The singer came back out for an encore and asked if we had any requests. A number of her songs were shouted out, with Abigail opting to do Indigo Blue, another melodic slow number, that was just delightful.
Abigail said that they hoped to return to the venue at some point. I sincerely hope so too. Catch this pair live if you get the chance.
Abigail and Steph are performing in Bristol this evening (13 May) and at London’s Jazz Cafe tomorrow (14 May), before heading off to mainland Europe.
For more information, visit abigaillapell.com or stephcameron.com.
