Her voice has grit and heft — it is lived-in and unafraid — putting her solidly in the lineage of female vocalists such as Janis Joplin, Florence Welch, Aretha Franklin, and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard. Like those who have left a mark before her, Bishop foregoes restraint and defies categorization, forging a path that is uniquely hers. Though she now sings her own songs in larger, crowded venues, Bishop still performs with the abandon and intimacy of someone addressing a handful of people in a small room. Deceptively composed, Bishop is often only a heartbeat away from howling with joy or being paralyzed by tears. The result is beyond inspiring, and promises to be as much of a transcendent experience for the audience as it is for Bishop.
“Wild Horses” and “River” are singles that present a rising artist who has spent years developing her craft. The emotions are timeless, the sounds are now; “River” juxtaposes the heartfelt, idiosyncratic soul of Jack Garratt and Hozier with the brash, brassy production of Yeezus or TNGHT. Composed in bedrooms, and destined for festival tents and arenas, Bishop claims her music comes from a place of sadness, though it might be more accurate to say it comes from a place of substance. While the words themselves are direct and precise, they encompass grand emotions which are deeply personal yet rendered in a way that invites listeners to project and examine their own experiences; isn’t that what music is supposed to do?
What unequivocally distinguishes Bishop is there is no duality — no difference between Bishop the person and Bishop the artist — they are one in the same. There is no construct or persona, there’s just her. Whether it is the defiance of “Wild Horses” or the rapture of “River,” they are all inspired by what she calls “the biggest, most toxic and tragic love affair I’ve ever had”: her lifelong commitment to music.
Bishop is not offering merely a piece of her heart — she’s giving you the whole thing. via mrgconcerts.com
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