Tirzah @ The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 19 Aug

Tirzah, and musical collaborator Coby Sey, take to the stripped back stage in this seated Monday-night show as part of the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2024 music programme. The artist’s soft ‘hey’ to the audience is one of just a handful of words spoken this evening, epitomizing Tirzah’s almost shy but hugely endearing stage presence.

Moving between sofa and microphone, Tirzah’s performance is minimal, shadowy and, at times, trance-like. Contrasting her vulnerable tone with white light and abrupt tempos, the show feels like a sort of melancholic daydream taking place at the end of a club night. The overall aesthetic is experimental and abstract: the results are mixed.

Tirzah’s voice is addictive and her songwriting feels original and bold in its simplicity. We all know that. We’ve all sessioned her music for this very reason. And tonight, there are moments where the audience are carried away with her – as her voice and Sey’s on-stage button-wizardry align to make something that feels truly artistic in its ambition. 

There’s also an impressive uniformity throughout the show and as the pair move rapidly from track to track, there can be no doubt they’ve developed a distinct concept. But it's hard not to crave the melodies and warmth of Devotion at times, regardless of how interesting the ideas in Tirzah’s later releases may be. 

There are also a few times when the show falls a little flat, as the overall effect becomes almost too reduced. We’re left wondering how Tirzah’s voice might sound with something more than a backing track, and prerecorded backing vocals supporting it. 

Overall though, Tirzah and Sey's ability to generate intimacy carries them through. This evening, it feels like we’re watching the two collaborators play for each other and for themselves, rather than for us; the show feels like something private we should maybe only glimpse. But to be allowed into anyone’s private space like this is a privilege.