Review of SYML + Jill Barber on July 3, 2024 at Theatre Maisonneuve as part of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal.
Brian Fennell (SYML) has a vocal range of 2.6 octaves from G#2 – D#5. While these are just numbers on a page, hearing SYML live is a different story.
Brian’s falsetto, combined with the lights, backing band and venue acoustics created an ethereal feeling that permeated Theatre Maisonneuve as part of the 43rd edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal.
Jill Barber
Jill Barber is to motherhood what Bruce Springsteen is to the working-class folk.
Jill’s voice is soothing. At one point I almost nodded off, not out of boredom, but as a child listening to a lullaby by someone that loves you.
It’s easy to write songs about failed love, but what about a content homemaker “trying to write the elusive domestic love song”, asks Jill during one of her interactions with the audience?
Jill also has a love/hate relationship with social media, Instagram in particular. We believed her when she sang “I don’t need a pretty picture to know I’ve got a beautiful life.”
We have to be careful not to cut ourselves with Jill’s sharp wit, like for the song Hell No where she asks us to “lip-stick it to the man.”
Is there such a thing as a mom joke? There is now.
She ended with a French version of Leonard Cohen’s classic Suzanne. It’s one thing to sing in another language, but quite another to translate a poetic song, retaining that lyrical flow, using foreign words that fit close enough to the original to bring homage to both Montreal & the language of love which is French.
SYML
The mood was set with You and I, a song that reflects on the loss of Brian’s adoptive father back in 2021.
Believer, “a song about rising above the doubt and skepticism to a place of hope so pure that there is no other choice than to believe in something” (Bandcamp), was next played and we all felt heavy in our seats, silent, letting the song flow through us, finding that little spark of hope we all have within us.
Girl is that song that touches a parent, seeing your child about to undergo an intense medical procedure as his daughter did. A parent’s heart sinks, and we also wish to “wear your pain”, gladly exchanging places to spare these precious ones any hurt.
Far from being a sad show, songs like The Dark started like a whisper but intensified as he sang “the dark led me to light again.” We were roused as if a weight was lifted from our shoulders, the one that held onto that feeling of isolation we felt for 3 years. In the end, there is always the light of the love of those around us, even when we don’t see them clearly at times.
At one point, Brian did an impromptu Q&A with the audience, which included having to decline a few requests as these had not been prepared with the band and an update on family life, specifically his daughter.
There was also a nod to the one staff member of Air Canada who impressed upon them our Canadian polite reputation, empathizing with the difficulty of lost luggage just before a gig. It was a great excuse for the keys/violin player Abby Gunderson to go shopping for that white outfit.
For Fear of the Water, he sat alone by the piano and sang a song about movement.
Sometimes, to face our fears is to move towards them.
After I wanted to Leave, again on the piano, he picked up the guitar and sang a song he recently rediscovered: Champagne Supernova.
During the following Q&A, a fan made an oddly shaped beanie, which Brian accepted, but could only wear for a short time. His signature beanie was replaced by a baseball cap for this show, admittedly a trend that started after being disappointed with haircuts right before gigs.
You might find Brian on a Bixi bike, riding around the plateau looking for $5 gnocchi (hint: Drogheria Fine), as suggested by an audience member as a Montreal activity.
Mr. Sandman was a cover that underwent a modern transformation, completely transformed, shedding it’s 50’s innocence.
Again, a song that started as soft as a kitten, roared like a lion when Symmetry called on the darkness to come. Violins (Abby and Brian Eichelberger) added to the dramatic overtones that settled back like the calm after an emotional storm.
The night would not be complete without a song that will surely hit 450 million plays on Spotify…Where’s My Love.
The last song, about a favorite outfit consisting of blue, Corduroy overalls reminded us of our youth. Sometimes, looking at the world with the innocence of a child is what we need to push through the darkness.
Conclusion
I met a friend who said this was her 4th time seeing SYML, and I can understand why. Songs that highlight his falsetto voice, speak to common themes we share and move us from the darkness to the light are how we recharge our operating system.
SYML reached in, and slowly tore open a small hole so we could see the glimmer of light that is ahead of us. We stepped out into the streets with a tiny smile, knowing we were healed just a little bit tonight.
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
Share this :
