Without even realising it, I've been listening to Stoney's new album The Scene And The Unseen at work for the past couple of weeks. Each and every time, I've almost enquired about the identity of the artist responsible for such a wonderful and diverse collection of songs. Little did I realise the talent in question resides within the confines of Sheffield's seven hills, and would be officially launching said record this very evening.
An unexpected treat, then, but by no means the solitary highlight. Opening act, and another of Sheffield's hidden gems, Neil McSweeney picks up an acoustic guitar and proceeds to invest every inch of his six-foot-something frame into delivering a collection of songs so subtle and well-crafted that you can't help but be drawn into his lo-fi world.
Backing band The Gents soon join him, providing an understated accompaniment to McSweeney's magnetic stage presence. There's an intensity about the performance of the bespectacled songwriter, visually a cross between Jesus and John Lennon, that shares a common cause with troubadours du jour Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, though the music is more rootsy, traditional, folk in nature. Songs like 'Postcards' and 'London Road' are meant to be heard on a winter's evening, mug of coffee in hand and snow on the ground, but even in the height of summer they deserve much wider acclaim.
How on earth Mark Stoney's face isn't already plastered all over national music magazines is a mystery to me, but with the new record receiving some notable press plaudits that could change sooner rather than later. What's certain is that this young multi-instrumentalist oozes star appeal, and, for once, possesses enough talent to back up the bravado.
Bouncing around the stage like an overexcited puppy, Stoney is the sort of performer you watch for the entire set just to see if he's going to do something remarkable. Tonight, we're treated to a glimpse of his 'S' branded, Superman style y-fronts (presumably for the ladies, though not his mother who, he tells us, is in the crowd) but the most noteworthy aspect of this set is how good the songs sound despite having had only a few days' practise with the musicians up there with him.
Recording the album and playing all the instruments on his own, Stoney's band tonight comprises of musicians from various bands and locations who've had barely 24 hours to learn the songs – but you wouldn't know it. The sublime 'Jailbird' bubbles with melody beneath a La's-esque vocal and some electronic wizardry, last year's single 'Soap In A Bathtub' sounds positively huge live, an anthem in the waiting, and new song 'Devil' (title TBC), hinting at a heavier direction, goes down a storm.
The Stoney sound is tricky to pin down, though there's plenty of guitar this isn't guitar music per se, and with a discernible groove it often crosses into electronic territory. There's something of an Englishness about the choruses, skyscraping and anthemic in the classic Kinks/Bowie sense, yet the verses often take a thoroughly modern spoken/sung format. Like Beck and Super Furry Animals, Stoney hops genres with consummate ease but still manages to put his own stamp on the end product. In twelve months' time, there's a fair chance the music of this Croydon native will be discussed with similar reverence.
