Gren Bartley

Red Shoes Theatre, Elgin, 16th Jan 2010

from Northern Scot Magazine 

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It is difficult to categorise the music of Gren Bartley, the young guitarist and singer-songwriter who captivated the audience at the Red Shoes Theatre in Elgin last Saturday. Bartley, proudly admitting that this was the furthest North he had ever played, delivered a mature performance, moving effortlessly between musical styles covering traditional folk, old blues and songs of the 60s folk revival, as well as his own material.

Bartley is a versatile guitar player, always drawing from the instrument the sounds that will best complement the song, be they sparse bass notes in blues numbers such as 'Somebody on your Bond' or his own 'Good Times', dextrous fingerpicking in traditional footstompers such as 'Barrack Street' or 'Green Beds', or beautifully legato melodies in his own heartfelt self-written songs such as 'Carry Her Safe' and 'Lena'. He is equally dextrous on the banjo, used in a stately version of Leadbelly's 'Cow Cow Yickey Yickey Yea' and other Americana such as 'Deep Blue Sea'.

Whilst Bartley and the audience alike seemed to have more fun with the traditional numbers, it is his songwriting that sets him apart; his more contemporary-sounding songs are characterised by interesting chord progressions and ambitious instrumentals, sung from the heart. But Bartley never loses his sense of humour, linking his numbers with wry honesty (and his cover of Eric Bibb's 'Panama Hat' raised several smiles).

He bookended the performance with a pair of self-written tunes, 'The Shepherd of Etive Mor' and 'Record Lovelies', played at a blistering speed which left the audience in no doubt about his virtuosity on guitar and every toe in the house tapping along.