Concert Review: Taken Back In Time With Alice Phoebe Lou and Yearning With Sam Burton

By Evelyn Lopez

Music Journalist

Ever since the release of Shelter (2023) last summer, I have been falling in love with the sound and lyricism of Alice Phoebe Lou. This album has resonated with me the most out of any of her projects. My dreams of seeing my favorite tracks live and breathing in the same air as an angel came true on a Tuesday.

The evening of April 16 had near-perfect weather. Everyone attending the show might just be the best dressed in the room. It was like watching my Pinterest boards come to life. The opener, Sam Burton, was dressed in double denim and emulated a singer-songwriter from the 1960s who had just spent spring in Laurel Canyon.

My familiarity with Burton has been restricted to their side projects up until this concert. His collaboration with Sylvie has some rich lore that I have already indulged in. The project is a spin-off of Mad Anthony’s The Lost Tapes (2023). The making of Sylvie (2021) is inspired by an over-40-year-old album that was just released last year. A project recorded in 1975 was brought to life and given to the people, thanks to the son of an original member of Mad Anthony, Ben Schwab. Schwab and Burton are members of Sylvie, a project made with the intent of channeling the same energy surrounding the sound and making of The Lost Tapes.

Sam Burton played their solo music, mostly from their new album, Dearly Departed (2023). In between Burton’s songs, he shared that someone at a previous concert has defined his genre as “men yearning”. There was no band behind him, just Burton and their hypnotic guitar picking. It reminded me of “Crying, Laughing, Loving” by Labi Siffre. An artist I would also put in the “men yearning” category. Burton performed a cover of “If I Were A Carpenter” by Tim Harden, and all I can say is that this whole set felt like a trance. I was sent back in time.

I have never seen a clear image of what Alice Phoebe Lou looks like until this night. There’s this one cover of “Spring” by Angel Olson that I have religiously watched on YouTube. She has baby bangs and a baby face. When she came out on stage, my initial thought was, “Holy moly, she’s 30?!” She is truly an angel. I noticed her long, silky hair and the way it appeared to glow. It was fitting that the first song she sang was “Halo” from her recent album Shelter.

Before her next song, she wanted to share that the headspace she was in as she wrote it inspired the direction of Shelter. “Shine” is my personal favorite from the album. It is romantic and peaceful, and It perfectly captures the feeling of being in love and how it heals. Hearing Alice sing this live was everything I could have ever wanted. She took me back to last summer, doing nothing with my lover but being together.

This is also her first time performing at Mohawk. “I have dreamt of playing here. The last time I was here, I was standing over there watching Angel Olson in 2015.” My internal monologue was begging for an Angel Olson cover. She then said, “Should I sing an Angel Olson song?” This prompted people in the crowd to shout out what they wanted her to play. Someone up at the top of the venue shouted out, “Play whatever you want!”. Alice replied with a little dance and said, “Ugh! You know my love language, baby!” She took us back to 2014 and covered “Unf**ktheworld”.

They played more songs from Shelter, like “Open My Door,” and a sensual performance of “Only When I” from Glow (2021). She then brought Sam Burton back out to sing a duet of “Early Morning Rain” by Gordon Lightfoot. Their voices complimented one another as they harmonized with the accompaniment of Burton’s acoustic guitar. Though I was standing, in my mind I was sitting on a carpet with my legs crossed, looking up at the two singers as if it were an open mic night. It reminded me of singing duets with my best friend while we were in high school.

Alice Phoebe Lou is a graceful performer. The control she has over her voice makes their singing sound effortless. It is light, and they keep the same energy alive. Both artists did a fantastic job of creating a time capsule out of the night.