Skullcrusher at Union Pool
A small bar in the middle of Williamsburg with a music venue in the back, Union Pool seemed almost too perfect of a place to have a Skullcrusher concert given, the parallels of intimacy between the quaint bar setting and her ethereal sound. The concert on March 29th had sold out so quickly that Union Pool announced a second show the following day.
Doors opened at 7:00pm sharp with opener h. pruz starting at 8:00pm. The audience was delighted to hear the brand new songs off their album, No Glory, released on the same day. We had the privilege of being the first live ears to listen to it, and the venue was small enough that there wasn’t a bad view anywhere you decided to stand. With soft guitar plucking, whimsical instrumentals, accompanied by a silky soft voice, h. pruz had beautifully set the tone for Skullcrusher to take the stage shortly after.
Around 9:00pm, Skullcrusher, also known by her real name Helen Ballentine, began performing to a full house. The setlist was comprised of both unreleased songs, as well as songs from her 2022 album Quiet the Room. As Skrullcrusher performed some favorites like “Pass Through Me,” “Whatever Fits Together,” and “It’s Like a Secret,” you could hear the audience members softly singing the lyrics back while also respecting the quiet, peaceful setting that Helen had created.
Ballentine’s vocal delivery on each line, word, and syllable was heard and felt deeply by the audience, as many listeners had closed their eyes and began swaying to the music throughout the set. Helen had opted to slow her songs down versus keeping the tempo of the recorded versions of her songs, which allowed the audience to take in every beat and linger on it for just a little bit longer.
Throughout the set and especially with songs from Quiet the Room, Helen gently brought us into the childhood she had intricately written about on the album and allowed the audience to feel the joys, challenges, and the more solitary moments she had experienced during those times.
Filled with gentle melodies and soft-to-the-touch vocals, the Skullcrusher show at Union Pool was a truly intimate experience where it felt like both the artist and the audience were clued in all of Helen’s secrets that only we knew about, and we can’t wait to hear more of those secrets with, hopefully, new music on the way.
