Music > Live Reviews

Jade Bird - Annabel Allum - Mosa Wild

The Adrian Flux Waterfront

15/11/19

In April of this year, Jade Bird released her self-titled debut album. A collection of heartfelt, country tinged rock songs, all showcasing her incredible vocal prowess. She toured America earlier this year, then starting her UK tour almost immediately off the back of returning.

First support was Annabel Allum, a young singer long marked as “one to watch”. For one woman and her guitar, it was refreshing to have someone leaning about as far away from the “ukulele girl” trope as possible. Vocals evocative of indie band Daughtermatched with grungy guitar made for a surprisingly engaging set, though her lyrics were lacking in song-craft occasionally. However, her new single “Not where you pretend you are” was a refreshing take on the usual cheating song, and showed more emotional maturity than maybe her earlier tracks had.

Indie four-piece Mosa Wild, headed out next with a more up-beat, mellow sound. Front man Jim Rubaduka, has a satin soft voice that matches the bands’ laid back, soulful take on indie perfectly. Their songs are cute, approachable melodies, and it’d be great to see where they take their sound next, especially seeing their development since the release of their debut single “Smoke”. The collaborative element of their band is evident from the way they interact on stage, and their musical talent is equally as exposed, with easy switches of instruments and the sharing of vocals between various band members. The standout moment was definitely their cover ofThe Waterboy’s“The Whole of The Moon”, mixed with elements of The Who’s“Baba O’Riley”. Despite being put up against legendary songs, Mosa Wild’s own music stood its ground, and the final song of their set “Night” advertised their EP “Talking in Circles” perfectly.

Finally, it was time for Jade. She opened with the first song on the new album “Ruins”, a song that epitomises her unique blend of vulnerability, powerful grungy vocals and country guitar. Compared to her demeanour when she sings, her stage presence is incredibly cute and friendly and it felt like a really intimate gig. Immediately following this, she launched into “Uh Huh”, an angry song showcasing her more rocky side. For someone who has only been releasing music for three years, her set was jam packed and not one song failed to deliver. “Does Anybody Know” signalled the start of a paired back, acoustic section in the set. After a raw rendition of Radiohead’s“Black Star” with  the band’s guitarist, Jade was left alone on the stage to croon her way through the emotional songs “What am I here for” and “17”. More than anything this really demonstrated the 22 year olds’ musical maturity, and her complete control of her voice.

Wonderfully, the mood was immediately picked up with the intensely rocky “I Get No Joy”, followed by a cover of “Call Me” by Blondie, a righteous tribute to Jade’s love affair with Americana. The band then ran into a new, as yet unreleased song, “Hold That Thought”, which continues along pretty much the same vein as the rest of Jade’s discography. “My Motto” was also a standout moment, and, as Jade said, “..if you’ve got any sort of grudges held, this is the song to belt out”  (particularly in the shower if you want my opinion). You could tell how chuffed she was to hear the audience singing along (very enthusiastically), particularly by the time that she arrived at the penultimate song of the evening “Love Has All Been Done Before”. For the encore Jade returned to the stage alone, sat down behind the piano and played the hauntingly beautiful “If I Die”. An incredibly brave move, but so well executed that it can only be commended as near perfect. The audience was rapt, and it tempered the gig in much the same way it does the album, reminding listeners just how good her voice really is.

If I was going to recommend anyone to go see this year it would be Jade Bird. It feels like she’s only a little way away from big things, and with a voice like hers she’ll have no trouble filling big venues. As Norwich was only the second stop on her UK tour, I wish her all the best for the rest of the year, and in the future.