Lulu James – XOYO, London 08/08/13

The ever-charismatic Geordie soulstress Lulu James brought her R&B-charged brand of pop back to London on Thursday night, launching her latest single ‘Step By Step’, out 12th August on RCA.

With typical swagger she raced through her set; the atmospheric ‘Be Safe’, with its Massive Attack-esque drum beat and ambient FX-heavy guitar lines, appeared early in the piece and was a stunning reminder to why our attention was so grabbed by James.

Dance-floor filler ‘Closer’, summer sing-along ‘Sweetest Thing’ and the aforementioned new single provided the highlights, with some of the tracks we haven’t heard hinting at the strength of the album due early next year. The performance and production felt slicker and more polished since her Dalston outing in the spring, but natural like-ability remains one of her strongest attributes.

She bounded around the stage omitting an infectious energy, bolstered by her chattiness between songs which juxtaposed her classy professionalism that signals her intent as yet another powerhouse UK female singer to slink into the mainstream thanks to a unique vocal and the knack for a genuine hook.

Set List
Bittersweet
Be Safe
The End
Unreasonable
Too Close
Sweetest Thing
Ride
Step by Step
Closer
Halfway to Hell