Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Though resplendent in red, Sophie Ellis-Bextor was a slow burner of a gig which took until the final disco medley to really ignite (Moloko cover; nice touch!)  The new “Wanderlust” album material has ventured into balladeer territory, inspired by experiences of Russia where Sophie is big stuff. Yet those fragile, vibrato vocals beg to be beefed up and it’s only with a pulsating, disco, dance beat that they even start to stack up. While Sophie’s characteristic detached cool may work over a busy background, it’s found wanting when stripped back and exposed. It’s not often in life you want more thorn than rose, but Sophie is a case in point.

Concorde 2, 14 April 2014

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