A sold out audience greeted José González at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre on Monday night. The Swedish singer hasn’t exactly made it easy to see him over here – he was last scheduled in the city in 2009, then at the Harbourfront Centre. While González has brought his Junip outfit to this neck of the woods in more recent years (see: a 2013 show at The Great Hall), it was evident from the eager faces in attendance that fans were delighted to see him under his own name.
To say it was worth the wait would be an understatement – González and his four-piece backing band were charming and every bit delightful. They also sounded fantastic.
Show opener Ólöf Arnalds set the tone for the night. The Icelandic singer-songwriter made use of an acoustic guitar, charango, vocal abilities, and all-around adorable personality to warm up the stage. She smiled throughout her songs; encouraged crowd participation; and gave a shout out to her usual musical collaborator – explaining he was back home in Iceland, making a home for the two of them because they’re very much in love.
Even the hardest of cynics had to smile. Arnalds’ softer approach to music could have made the entire thing a write off (especially with a chatty crowd) – but thanks to an endearing stage presence, attention felt compulsory.
Arnalds’ songs very much reminded of centuries long past, particularly when her vocals stretched into the higher regions. This was made evident in “Turtledove”, which borrowed a line from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as she sang: “If music be the food of love.” Structurally, it was all also rather reminiscent of St. Vincent, albeit a stripped-down Joni Mitchell-esque version. On “Maria Bethânia”, this was particularly noticeable in Arnalds’ vocal work, laid over slowed guitar plucking.
The simplicity of Arnalds’ opening set gave way to González’s more complex offerings. While he himself used just a single acoustic guitar throughout the course of his hour-and-a-half long set, he provided a full sound that swelled and dropped off in a meticulously delivered fashion.
González, for his part, is an unassuming front man with gentle vocal lines that reach surprisingly heavy peaks. It’s understandably vulnerable (as a slightly-off solo performance of “Crosses” from his 2003 Veneer debut showed) and all the more relatable.
“Killing for Love”, the second song of the night and from his second album, 2007’s In Our Nature, was warmly received for its double percussion and for its building guitar inflections. Its follow-up, “Let It Carry You”, was met with equal praise thanks to three-part harmonies.
If González appeared at all tentative on stage, it wasn’t cause for concern – just evidence that he and his band were so focused on the delivery.
One such example of that was “What Will”, from González’s third studio album – 2015’s Vestiges & Claws. The clip-clop claps of its percussion and its other instrumentals gave way to complex melodic shifts. The band came together on it, pulling off the movements cohesively and blending what could have been three very different songs into one.
González seemed happy to step into the background and let the entire band take the spotlight, too. He was far removed from the front of the stage – taking the centre position in an arc of musical talent. He gave others in the band a chance to shine, passing over vocal duties to a member of his band for a cover of Barbarosa’s “Home”. It was an airier addition to the set, breathing in unmistakable elements of Washed Out that went over well.
Another cover – Arthur Russell’s “This Is How We Walk on the Moon” – was darker and surprisingly intense in its instrumental inflections. Electronics came in twice and seemed to add pulsations to the venue floor. While it never quite reached the peak of Suuns-level bass, it was a well-executed match for González’s body of work.
After finishing the main part of the set with fan-favourite In Our Nature track “Cycling Trivialities”, he returned for a solo rendition of “Heartbeats”. Originally a cover by Swedish contemporaries The Knife, the song has since come to find a happy home in González’s canon. The entire band returned for the final offering of the clap inducing “Leaf Off / The Cave” – the audience continuing their cheers as the band said their goodbyes on a beautiful show from a talented musician. González might have tentative toes in the spotlight, but it’s inevitably hard to stay hidden when you’re really this good.
