Live Review: Anna O

The Four5Nine Bar in The Rosemount Hotel was packed quickly by punters for a sold-out performance by up and coming local singer/songwriter Anna O launching of her debut EP, When The Winter Came. After a short DJ set, drummer Nathan Woodward made his way out onto the small red-lit stage before the packed venue while the vocal riff from Sleepless started out over the speakers. Woodward kicked into the familiar drum pattern of the song before Anna O and the rest of the band came out to a huge cheer from the audience. New song Fast Forward followed, with big buzzing bass sounds and reggae-style guitar chops reminiscent of James Blake. “So I just wanted to say thank you all so much for being here at my EP launch and thanks for selling it out,” said Anna, clearly enamoured by the crowd.

After another new song, Night Light, Anna and the band went through a rockier version of EP song Gravity, which featured a great guitar solo from Simeon Nelson who swapped between guitars and synths for parts of each song. “We're going to take it down a little bit now,” said Anna before she slipped in a stripped-back cover of Avicii's Addicted To You, giving Adele a run for her money. The end of the song segued into EP ballad, For You, which followed the stripped-back vibe of the set and featured great vocals by Anna. Hibernation, which Anna announced as the latest single that night, kicked the energy levels back up before her and the band got the audience moving with the more dance-inspired Fan Fare to a great final cheer from the crowd, capping off an impressive set and a successful live debut for this talented artist.