The Great Escape – EMA

South Dakota’s Erika M Anderson, when strutting about the stage, casts a figure a little like a less stroppy Courtney Love, with the soul of Patti Smith burning bright. Stream-of-consciousness politically-motivated performance poetry in the style of that high priestess of punk combined sometimes spectacularly with electronic violin layered noisily over guitar feedback. Bouts of hip-hop mixed with a shoegaze backdrop as the artist known as EMA made her claim to be the new star of intelligent pop that’s not afraid to actually say something. If there’s any justice, this year should see her go onto bigger and better things. Just watch this space.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 12 May 2012

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