Basia Bulat. “What kind of a name is that?” Well, for those of us here who may not have heard of it beforehand, it is certainly one that we will now remember long after tonight has gone.
Right before launching into ‘Disco Polo’ – one of several songs that she plays tonight from her latest album, Basia’s Palace – it is Basia Bulat herself who poses this question. It is one, she says, she is often asked, before going on to explain that both her parents came from Poland though she was the first of their children to be born in Canada. She is fiercely proud of her heritage and ‘Disco Polo’ takes its title from a genre of Polish dance music much beloved by her late father.
Family, home, and new beginnings are all themes that run through Basia’s Palace, but it is to her 2020 album Are You in Love? and that record’s compelling title track that Basia Bulat goes first. Accompanied by her wonderful band – comprising drums and guitar – she initially takes her place behind the keyboard but before the set closes some 90 minutes later, she has moved effortlessly between keys, autoharp, guitar, and, finally, ukelele.
It is clear that Basia Bulat is a seriously accomplished, and hugely versatile multi-instrumentalist. And that is before we even get to start talking about her voice. It is rich and emotive – ‘Already Forgiven,’ again from Are You in Love? is a prima facie case in point here. It is big on vibrato when the need arises – and it does arise during ‘Paris and Amsterdam,’ the first of three solo tunes she performs midway through her set. It is tough and powerful – ‘Fool’ from her 2016 release Good Advice is an example of the vocal force she has. Plus it can be sultry and often as smoky as hell. And it just fills this room with ease.
As the evening unfolds, to versatility and power, we can add spontaneity to Basia Bulat’s growing list of positive characteristics. For the solo section of her set, she throws open song selection to the audience. OK, she does admit defeat with ‘Electric Roses’ – promising to play that the next time she is in town – but can still go right back to her first two albums for impeccable readings of ‘Little Waltz’ and ‘Gold Rush’ respectively. Given that those two records date from more than 15 years ago, we should also add having a memory like a steel trap to that list of attributes.
And then having ended this completely enrapturing show with a blistering ‘Love is at the End of the World,’ Basia Bulat still has enough petrol left in the tank to come back for a delightful ‘It Can’t Be You,’ accompanying herself on the ukulele and ending the song right in the midst of the audience.
Photos: Simon Godley
More photos of Basia Bulat at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds
