Caught Live: Sparrow & The Workshop

The Lexington is slowly becoming one Ragged Words favourite small venues in London. On the one hand it’s got enough charm to entice the likes of (questionable or otherwise – ed) Wolfmother and Juliette Lewis to grace its stage every so often, whilst on the other, it holds enough aces up its sleeve to attract some of the UK’s best smaller bands to its central London stage. And tonight it’s the turn of the smaller band, The Scotland-based via Chicago and Wales trio Sparrow & The Workshop. With a brief hello and intro from charmingly witty frontwoman and guitarist Jill O’Sullivan, the band ease into the evening with 'Horses Grin', an evocative, galloping teaser, revealing just what they are capable of.

With drummer Gregor Donaldson busy supplying both the backing vocals and rhythmic bliss from behind his kit, bassist Nick Packer is left to pin it all together with an array of low-end melodies that bring a smile to the soul. It’s been a while since I’ve witnessed a bassist actually play his instrument beyond that of supporting another lacklustre guitarist in yet another throwaway indie band; and that’s why Sparrow & The Workshop are such a joy to behold. With an arsenal of tunes that will either break your heart, such as the wonderfully understated ‘My Crime’ or the angelic ‘The Gun’, get your ears ringing, ‘Into The Wild’ I’m looking at you here, or just get your feet-tapping, ‘Devil Song’ you’re guilty as charged, the scope on display tonight would scare most bands this size to death. But the audience lap it up, their whopping and cheering between songs grows ever louder as the evening moves along.

The band treat the adoring audience to a sneak-peak of their forthcoming shortplayer (due late November), ‘Crystals’ being an immediate highlight, as well as an airing of new song, ‘Pants On Fire’. It’s a working title, or so Jill sheepishly tells us anyway. As the night annoyingly draws closer to its end, O’Sullivan swaps one stringed instrument for another and swaps her guitar for her violin for alt. country down-yet-up-beat ballad ‘Broken Heart, Broken Home’, before bringing the night to a close. And what a night it has been. Sparrow & The Workshop may find themselves to be one of those smaller bands now, but after tonight’s performance one wouldn’t be surprised if they’ll soon be returning to The Lexington only to fill it ’till its bursting at the seams. That’d be the least this gem of a band deserves.