★★★★☆
Having spent much of the last few years building up a fanbase, Annabel Allum is finally getting some of the attention she deserves. The singer-songwriter supported Beth Ditto on her European tour last year and had her music featured in the 2017 film Spaceship, while also releasing the acclaimed All That For What EP. On the heels of her latest release ‘Beat the Birds’, Allum returns to the London stage with a headlining set at the Camden Assembly.
Hampshire-born singer songwriter Joe Booley opened up the evening, armed with his intimate blend of Bon Iver and Biffy Clyro influenced folk/indie tunes. Possessing a mesmerising voice and an expressive guitar playing style, Booley captured the room’s attention from the onset.
Following him were Guildford-based indie band Me and the Moon: with a dedicated keyboard/synth player and bassist now on board, the band have been to able to tweak their live act to better serve their dreamy and beautifully relaxing pop songs. Their new single ‘It’s Alright’ is out now via My Little Empire Records, and if you’re a fan of bands such as Youth Club or Two Door Cinema Club you’ll feel right at home with Me and the Moon.
The evening took on a welcome but sudden contrast with main support Ginger Snaps. It’s a real struggle to describe their performance as anything other than eclectic, mixing various genres such as funk, hip-hop and punk into an entertaining and energetic set. It honestly made me wonder what would happen if Joe Strummer lived long enough to collaborate with a funk collective, as the results might have been somewhat alike. Put them on your ‘ones to watch’ list.
