Sweet, soulful, and a little bit silly: Caity Baser’s mini tour, ahead of her new album, shows that despite the new direction, she’s still just the internet’s girl next door. Having shot to fame with poppy TikTok tracks like ‘Pretty Boys’ and ‘X&Y’, Baser’s return to the music scene is taking a slightly different direction: recording with live instruments and tackling more vulnerable subject matter. Similarly, ahead of the album release, her tour was less of the high energy, choreographed, full-band explosion that her fans have been used to, but a stripped back, intimate evening. Yet, it was clear that Baser found this calmer, softer side difficult to ease into, with bursts of chaos peppering the demure aesthetic of the evening. 

This juxtaposition of her personalities and intentions was clear even before she set foot onstage. With a stylish neon sign, sofa seating and grand piano, the burlesque, cosy venue of Mama Roux’s honed in on her new aesthetic. Whilst the sound system played short interviews with her close friends, colleagues and family, creating an up-close-and-personal mood, bursts of pop hits such as ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘YMCA’ reminded the crowd of the Caity they have come to love. At times such clashes of vibes felt incongruous and slightly messy but, in retrospect, perhaps this was Baser’s very intention: to attempt to showcase a softer side whilst remaining authentically herself, chaos and all.

Accompanied by a jazz-bar style intro, Caity twirled onto the stage, speaking in soft tones and posing like an Instagram darling. She opened with one of her newest releases, ‘Watch That Girl’, shyly seeking the audience’s approval and excitedly bouncing in her seat when they sang along. What was particularly lovely about the evening was her honest interactions with the crowd and her eagerness to talk candidly, at length. Singing and riffing as she spoke, her improvisations demonstrated her inherent musicality and love of the dramatic. She openly discussed difficult family relationships, ‘The Story Of Her’, friendship betrayals, ‘Drank Me Dry’, and alluded to childhood assault, ‘The Weight Of You (I’m Glad You Died)’. Baser tread the line between honesty and professionalism, drawing her listeners in whilst maintaining pace with performances.

The performances themselves were sensitive and soulful. Her new repertoire showcased her vocal abilities, from her rich lower range to her impressive belt, riffs and runs. Yet, largely due to technical difficulties, Baser was persistently flat during several performances. Removing her in-ears multiple times, she later explained that she couldn’t hear herself and was finding the technology ‘claustrophobic’. Once taking them out, the pitching problems were swiftly solved suggesting that this new performance style, of merely a piano and minimal track, was posing a slight challenge. Nevertheless, Baser’s self-awareness and professional handling of such issues, all whilst peppered with her signature giggle and cheeky gestures, made each falter fade away.

Having solved these technical issues, and perhaps eased into her nerves, the second half of the set grew stronger and stronger. A standout performance was her ballad ‘As I Am’, written about her current relationship and finally feeling seen and loved. Despite a small catch in the opening pre-chorus, which she later jokingly explained to have been a burp, the song’s simplicity showcased her powerful vocals. Giggling and waving her hands at the song’s close, she showed the audience that despite finally writing love songs, instead of what she termed her old ‘angry’ music, she was still the same goofy girl. As she grows into this new era, it is likely that Baser will only become increasingly confident in tackling the new challenges that such music, song content, and performances provide. Her new album and (hopefully) a subsequent tour are dates to watch out for, and Caity Baser remains a performer to keep an eye on.

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