Powerful and prominent, Nilüfer Yanya is one of a kind live in London

30 May 2018, 12:58 | Written by Lucy Alexander

(Live)

(Nilüfer Yanya)

Nilüfer Yanya strides coolly on to the stage; she doesn’t greet the crowd, instead she looks across a packed Village Underground and opens with ‘Angels’. Wrapped in the warmth of her rich, unique vocals we are transfixed and, despite only a handful of releases, we hang on her every word.

It’s easy to make comparisons to her London contemporaries but, Nilüfer Yanya is truly one of a kind. At only 22, she’s toured Europe and the US extensively and it shows in tonight’s performance. It’s cool but confident and her minimal band effortlessly transition between her small yet substantial catalogue. ‘Thanks 4 Nothing’ is heart breaking while ‘The Florist’ displays smart, witty lyricism.

Village Underground is an incredibly intimate venue and it’s clear that among us tonight are some of the band’s nearest and dearest. From the offset people urge them on, waiting for their favourite Nilüfer Yanya hit. ‘Baby Luv’ from 2017 EP Do You Like Pain? pulses promisingly and set highlight ‘Keep On Calling’ is fantastic. It’s important to note that Yanya is nothing short of a guitar virtuoso. Her playing alone is compelling but, paired with her band, her songs take on a new shape. Her cover of The Pixies’ ‘Hey’ is as urgent as the original but, instead, the guitar solos are swapped for saxophone. This addition adds a new depth and demonstrates diversity in her influences.

Returning for a well-deserved encore, we are once again reminded that Nilüfer Yanya is a powerful and prominent performer. Having garnered a lot of support of the past year and, with her highly anticipated debut album surely to be released, Yanya is on a upward arc. On record she’s impressive but live she’s amazing. Tonight at Village Underground we are lucky to share such a small room with her, as it’s inevitable that she will soon move on to bigger and more brilliant things.