I really don’t get it. I don’t understand how Scotland outfit Sons and Daughters kick so much fucking ass. I was watching them Friday night, lead singer Adele Bethel prowling that stage like a lion hot for a wildebeest, and I literally could not fathom how much sex and rock n’ roll was being thrust in my direction. My face was being owned way hard.
Bethel is indeed an anomaly in her own right. At times her voice was both harmonious and soulful, delivering a sweet croon over flawless rhythms, served up by timekeeper drummer David Gow. Other times she was channeling her inner banshee-meets-opera singer vocals, a perfect blend of pitch and screaming, spirit and grit. And paired with the talents of the rest of the band – Ailidh Lennon on slinky bass line duties and Scott Patterson on ripped, dirty guitar and co-vocals – I was completely taken aback as to why the show had not sold out.
“I’d just like to thank you for coming back out tonight,” said Patterson halfway through their set at the Great American Music Hall. “We haven’t been back to San Francisco in two years, we were afraid that people wouldn’t come out at all.”
Ah ha.
I think, though, with a little bit more exposure, more sold-out concerts will be in the band’s future. As much as I want to contain the four-piece as my own little secret, I’d much rather spread the fast, furious, and oh-so-delicious love of these guys because I’m a giving person like that. I can’t keep songs like “Darling” to myself, which showcased a pop element beat with a catchy guitar riff and Bethel’s sweet singing backed up by a low croon interspliced from Patterson. And there is no way in hell I can keep tracks like “Rama Lama” and “Gift Complex” from anyone, the former finding Patterson more upfront and center with a baritone of a sex voice and Bethel sharply shrieking on perfect 1-2-3 over Lennon’s Western-inspired bass. The latter ensnared Bethel in a tangle of fast rhymes and melodious hums to produce a beautiful and ridged combination. I was breathless at the end of the show just watching them play.
Indie, folk, rock, acoustic, country, soul, I don’t care what label you give Sons and Daughters, so long as you give them a spin. Be prepared for greatness.
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