It's rather more genteel than taking over a speeding tube train the way The Others used to for guerrilla gigs, but London's THE GREAT SOJOURN have hit upon a novel way of touring of late. Instead of staying on the regular gigging circuit (they do some of those an' all) they've taken to playing in front rooms up and down the country. It sounds like an excellent idea to me. For starters it probably cuts out dealing with greedy promoters and it must surely ramp up the intimacy vibe.
And 'intimacy' is surely the watchword where The Great Sojourn are concerned. A self-contained trio, they feature Jon Brombley (vocals, guitar), bassist James Le Tissier and drummer Jon Caws and have clearly rehearsed until they're guy rope tight and all the important details have fallen into place. Their new single 'Inbetween' is a fine statement of intent, pivoting around James' snaky bass line, Jon C's insistent drumming and Jon B's whisper-to-wail vocals. It walks hand in hand with well-crafted, atmospheric pop of the Crowded House variety (very much a compliment, I might add) and has all the hooks it needs to do the business on the radio given the breaks.
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The Great Sojourn, then, may enjoy drifting away from the beaten track on the live circuit, but their sharp, tuneful pop makes directly for your heart. On this showing, it suggests they'll be coming to much larger venues than merely living rooms near you.
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