In a world where every musician seems to be blurring the lines between this genre and that, and there’s almost an expectation for artists to drawn on multiple styles to create their own personalised formula, it takes a certain vulnerability and self-confident swagger to not just carve out your own niche, but to name it.
Enter Jeff Darko, whose new album Heavy Water Blues he defines as ‘Psychedelic Gospel’, fusing soul, jazz, R&B, electronica, African jazz and alternative pop, alongside shades of dub, funk, and of course blues. Inspired by the original Greek meaning of psychedelic – to reveal the soul – combined with the spiritual storytelling of gospel, this moniker became the framework for Jeff’s soul-searching debut LP, described by himself as “the story of me drowning”.
Taking the project on the road, he arrived in London last Thursday on the eve of Heavy Water Blues’ release for the last stop of The Psychedelic Gospel Experience. Before the British-Ghanaian artist emerged onto the kaleidoscope-lit stage of a sold-out Colours Hoxton, his two supporting acts began to establish the roots of what Psychedelic Gospel means. First onstage was Caesar, Jeff’s keyboardist, longtime collaborator and co-producer of Heavy Water Blues, whose own silky raps and jazzy beats were brought to life backed by 2/3 of Jeff’s band and featuring the vocal talents of Lams. His flagshagger-baiting closing track ‘Home’, described by Caesar as his favourite lyrics he’s ever written, featured a chorus cowritten with Jeff Darko and was a highlight from a stellar introduction to the world of Heavy Water Blues. Berlin-based alt-pop singer Marshall Vincent next graced the crowd with a slew of dark, gritty, and breathy tracks. The smoke machine was working overtime as their immense vocals drew the audience into a world of introspective lyrical storytelling that Jeff would soon take us on another journey through.
When Jeff did make his way onto stage, he came with style dripping from the jewel-encrusted lapels of his 70s Americana-inspired jumpsuit. Light reflected into the crowd from the sunglasses glued to his face throughout the entirety of his set, and the catchy hook of ‘Don’t Worry About A Thing’ reverberated through the vibrantly lit cavern of Colours Hoxton. The track’s trio of vocals – Caesar’s rhythmical rapping, backing vocalist Marzena’s gliding hook delivery, and Jeff’s warm tones alternating from rhythmic spoken word to his rich singing voice – were the tip of the musical iceberg, floating atop a wealth of artistic talent across drums and percussion, bass, electric guitar and keys. The band were tight, displaying their virtuosity in tightly controlled bursts of excellence. A jazzy keys flourish, soulful bass fill or bluesy guitar lick kept the eager crowd constantly wanting more as the show went on.
We soon stepped into the world of Heavy Water Blues with ‘Messenger’, Jeff recalling writing the groove-laden song at a point of lowness. Confronting his own mistakes, he repeats “I’m messing up… I’m messing up and I need more time”, the track building to a climactic finale where drummer Luan let loose behind the kit and Jeff’s star power as a dynamic frontman became more than apparent, bringing an energy and intensity to his vocal delivery and physical presence that befitted his glistening appearance.
The weighty themes of his connection-seeking debut album played out impactfully live, with Jeff later describing the Heavy Water Blues project as “just a man crying out” in a particularly poignant moment dedicated towards men’s mental health. Joined by saxophonist Maddy Coombs and trumpetist Austin Carroll onstage for ‘Used’, lust and unhealthy desire were offset by the bouncing energy of the dub-influenced track, and the catchiness of its hook “Rapapapapapapa… I wanna be used”. Lighter moments were interspersed also across the night, from the devotion of Heavy Water Blues’ title track to Jeff’s mother to the crowd-participation anthem ‘Brown Sugar’, which was three minutes of the single lyric “brown sugar” being gleefully repeated by Jeff and alternating sections of the crowd back and forth.
Jeff’s varying vocal delivery was particularly impressive, a flexible vessel through which Psychedelic Gospel’s many influences manifested. Sometimes his delivery was fully spoken-word, others blues-y half-spoken and half-sung, or sultry and breathy. Often he oscillated between a piercing more R&B-style falsetto and deep, raspy soul-infused chest voice, as he did on the love-affirming ‘Make Sense’. On ‘All I Need’, he even rapped Ricky Rankin’s guest verse with flawless precision, receiving much applause. Jeff’s shiny exterior evidently concealed an array of talents within.
An extended version of ‘Find The Words’ brought his set to a high-octane close, the band leaving absolutely nothing on the table across blaring brass solos and stunning moments of unison, the crowd bringing joyous energy to match. Already running behind and having checked the clock multiple times by then, it was a genuine surprise when the band sauntered back onstage for an encore, so much so that half of the crowd had begun filtering out. Returning avidly, the audience were treated to older fan favourite ‘Feel Alright’, gladly singing along when called upon to join in. A final impromptu reprise of ‘Messenger’ was the last track we heard before emerging back into the Shoreditch nighttime, all the richer for bearing witness to a vibrant musical tapestry of star power, instrumental talent, and soul-searching storytelling.
When it comes to Psychedelic Gospel, we were experienced.
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Words: Taran Will
Photographer: Isabelle Dohmen