Live Review: Ella Hooper, Hailey Cramer

Former Killing Heidi front woman Ella Hooper took to the stage for the formal launch of her solo project and single Häxan in as understated a fashion as she did when her career began 17 years ago, as a mere 13 year-old.

Her thanks and graciousness were delivered sincerely and repeatedly, going out to audience members and industry folk, as well as super-capable supports Spender and Hailey Cramer. Cramer, singing with her band, can be recalled adding luscious and sultry vocals to Pez's The Festival Song back in 2008, and in fitting appreciation Pez could be seen wandering round the swelling Worker's Club.

Cramer played new songs, apparently previously unheard by audiences, her “environmental song”, a far-reaching plea to care for the earth for future generations, and closed with Shoes, every song sung with immense power and perfection.

As Hooper took modestly to the stage, she announced to the now utterly overcrowded venue that it was “nice to be able to say debut… it hasn't been a debut anything for 15 years!”

Playing the better part of the forthcoming album In Tongues, Hooper, with full band in tow, opened with the title track, and chugged through other new tracks including Low High, Wild Stallionz, and a particular favourite of Hooper's, Diamond Like.

Hooper was jovial and giggly throughout the set, jesting in querying the crowd with, “what am I doing putting Hailey Cramer on before me? Am I undermining myself?” But the beaming crowd lapped up such quirks enthusiastically.

Breaking up the tracks from the album, Hooper and band played a fused cover of Neil Young's Helpless and Robyn's Dancing On My Own, which revealed how frighteningly similar the base melodies for both songs are.

The celebrated single Häxan translates loosely to “the witches” in Swedish, and is said to be a tale of spells, hexes and illusions.  Played as the penultimate track, it is riddled with curling, smoky vocals that lend the track, and audiences, an alluring mystery from start to finish.

Closing with Red Shoes, Hooper's single launch proved that she is still capable of crafting deeply meaningful lyrics and singing with prowess, and that the time since Killing Heidi's publically announced hiatus has been tremendously well spent.

It was also refreshing to see the already esteemed artist reconnect with her humble beginnings, as Hooper - in closing - advertised an upcoming residency before the album's release in June.