Live Review: Ella Hooper, Low Lux, Jack Colwell & The Owls - Newtown Social Club

With relatively short sets, all three acts provided a very appetising taster of what they have to come. First up Jack Colwell & The Owls’ five songs were way too short and a massive teaser for someone who has so much clear potential.

Colwell’s impassioned and theatrical vocals and a surprisingly non-irritating use of flute in his band created songs full of depth and character. Far From View, a single released earlier in the year, sounded as epic in tone as a Jeff Buckley song. Colwell is without doubt one to watch.

Low Lux took to the stage for their first ever live show, though it certainly didn’t appear that way. With sultry vocals and atmospheric sounds as a backdrop, their tunes blended the gentle with the bubbling and simmering. The variety in tone was played out well and this was undoubtedly a great start.

It would appear it has been well worth the wait for new material.

By contrast Ella Hooper is no stranger to the stage from her Killing Heidi days, but has taken her time with a debut solo album. Having revealed that it is now due for a mid-September release, she played a selection of songs from it. Of those, Wild Stallions was full of ruggedness, the to-be-title-track In Tongues kicked its way into the chorus with some overlaid synth effects, while the joyous rock-out of Dead Star was a highlight.

Hooper’s vocal strength was demonstrated in the reverb hitting Everything Was A Sign. Jack Colwell returned to accompany Hooper for a cover of Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting, which carried a powerful punch. Hooper closed with new single The Red Shoes which, with its immediate pump-up and steady beat, proved to be a rousing end to a comfortable and typically charismatic performance. It would appear it has been well worth the wait for new material.