Live Review: Julia Jacklin, Olympia, Annie Hamilton

Rising star Annie Hamilton eased us into the evening’s proceedings with her brand of ambient indie-rock. Her sweet voice captured our attention, but it was her heartfelt lyrics that kept us engaged. Hamilton looked at home standing centrestage, despite only having one official release under her belt.

Olympia, aka Olivia Bartley, surprised us when she popped up to do a solo number to kick things off. Soon enough though, her band joined to get the party started, and they served up a set of glittery indie tunes – much like Bartley's amazing sequinned pants. While she promised us a set of old and new tracks, there were, unfortunately, some flat moments, but better known songs shone as Bartley's voice soared. Telling us a story about her neighbour, she dedicated a song to all the strong women out there, before Smoke Signals that sealed the deal. 

As soon as punters caught a glimpse of Julia Jacklin, a chant fired up – "Julia! Jacklin!" – catching her by surprise as she walked on stage. Kicking off with Body we were instantly enamoured, before Leadlight won hearts and minds early on. 

The chant fired up again, so Jacklin addressed it saying she'd never had a chant before and commented on its sportiness. The melancholic Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You soon subdued the room in the best way possible, Jacklin’s presence enigmatic as she bared her soul, dragging us into a place of darkness and honesty. The emotion she imbued in every note was both admirable and draining. The introduction of a piano for ballad When The Family Flies In took us further on an emotional rollercoaster that we couldn't, and didn't want to, get off. 

While we were feeling crushed under the weight of our emotions, Jacklin broke the tension with Good Guy, joking it was a song for “guys who think it’s ok to have sex to a Bon Iver album”. Picking up the tempo, Head Alone was a moment to dance before we sung our hearts out to final hurrah Pressure To Party. However, it wasn’t over yet, with Jacklin returning to the stage to sing a solo rendition of Comfort to see us out. While we were bummed to have to leave, we know we’ll have this show ingrained in our memories for years to come.