Sari Schorr has a storyteller’s voice: direct, expressive and full of lived experience. This album launch for 'Running Wild' comes ahead of a European tour taking in 14 countries, giving Schorr and her band a fitting opportunity to introduce the new material before taking it on the road. The album gives that voice plenty to work with, moving between family history, personal struggle and observations of everyday life. At times, Schorr becomes so impassioned that she sings like a woman possessed, an intensity that seems to lift Ash Wilson’s lead guitar playing to another level.

The title track lets her cut loose, with the abandon of Clare Torry on Pink Floyd’s 'The Great Gig in the Sky' as Schorr throws herself into the vocal. Wilson’s slide guitar adds Bluesy grit, creating a powerful meeting of voice and guitar. Carl Hudson’s Rhodes-like piano gives 'Monday Morning' a neat ragtime feel, before 'Man On Fire' brings the emotion closer to home. The song tells the story of Schorr’s father being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his twenties, with a Springsteen-meets-Don Henley feel, while the instrumental passages give the story room to breathe.

'Better Day' turns to the story of a homeless man on the subway, with Wilson again catching the ear. 'Call It Freedom' draws on the story of Schorr’s grandfather, who came to America from Ukraine and owned a button factory. With the lyrics 'Paved with Gold', the song questions what freedom really means when achieving it requires leaving behind your possessions, your home and everything you know.

'Elevate' lives up to its title, with an uplifting quality and echoes of Radiohead’s 'Sulk' in its sound. 'Finding My Way' continues the theme of self-discovery, before 'Love The One You’re With', Stephen Stills’ classic cover, provides a change of pace. With Marco from the Cinelli Brothers joining Schorr and adding vocals and guitar, the song takes on a distinctly Doobie Brothers feel.

'Ordinary Life' finds beauty in life’s simple pleasures, while 'Cool Hand Rider' brings a more swaggering, Blues-Rock edge to the set, before the reflective 'Afterglow' provides the encore.

Throughout the set, Schorr makes a point of repeatedly thanking the audience for their kindness and niceness, her appreciation coming across as genuine rather than perfunctory. Carl Stanbridge’s bass and Russ Parker’s drums provide a dependable foundation, while Hudson and Wilson add detail without crowding the songs.

Opening the evening, Joe Hicks provided a contrasting acoustic set, balancing plaintive lyrics with jovial banter. At one point he encouraged the audience to join him in a “hoo” harmony, mimicking the sound of a parliament of owls, an amusing touch that warmed the room and showcased his assured falsetto.

'Running Wild' succeeds because Schorr knows how to turn a story into something that stays with you.

Review: Ivan De Mello
Photos and video: Denise Lester