THURSDAY 3 NOVEMBER
Vondelkerk, 20.30, €15

If you’ve ever been absorbed into a song by Arab Strap, you’ll understand all too well how poetic and dark, yet also utterly authentic, the lyrics of former frontman Aidan Moffat can be. In the years following the split of the Falkirk-based outfit, Moffat has found it easier to step away from the dark, swirling drama associated with his past work, giving a voice to modern life as he sees it. One recent escapade focussed on love and relationships - 10 Short Songs For Modern Lovers – squeezing ten brief tales onto a 7″ single. But he’s visiting with Amsterdam with Scottish jazz multi-instrumentalist  Bill Wells, promoting the beautiful concept album Everything’s Getting Older.

Touching intimately on birth, love, sex and death, it’s primarily a softer side to the gruff vocalist – give or take a few unavoidable moments of lasciviousness. Partly it stems from the beautiful piano play of Wells, who, while far from being in full jazz mode, creates roomy textures for these natural tales. It’s also that this album includes a number of tracks that aren’t purely disconnected fictional pieces, but instead capture emotionally raw moments of joy and sadness.

Support comes from RM Hubbert, an amazing songwriter/guitarist, who we last spoke to when he came through Amsterdam in support of Mogwai. Formerly the creator of wiry, baffling riffs in bands like El Hombre Trajeado, he took to flamenco guitar techniques as a way of dealing with depression and emotions. Now he uses his instrumental performances as a means of reaching out, telling stories about the music and presenting songs that have looped beyond flamenco into more mesmeric and intimate compositions with lives of their own. In Vondelkerk you can expect a blend of acoustic tracks from debut album First & Last and new pieces from the upcoming Thirteen Lost & Found.

Fancy free tickets to this pretty little gig in Vondelkerk? Email win@unfoldamsterdam.nl and tell us the best thing about getting older.