live music

Venue: Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
Gig played: 17 December 2008

VV Brown has cropped up in most lists of artists expected to make an impression on 2009, and it's easy to see why.

To begin with, her quirky, maybe-she's-born-with-it flair makes her an engaging presence on stage. Then there's her trademark perfectly rolled fringe-quiff - a nod to her musical lineage.

So what of the music? You could call it a lindy-hopping style of swinging tunes plucked right out of the '40s and given the new millennium treatment. Or maybe just "fancy pop". Whatever the case, tonight's gig is a 20-minute taster of what Miss Brown can do - and it's impressive. Vocally, she can sing circles round your average soul siren, and her gritty caramel tone (which sometimes squeaks for effect) perfectly suits her songs on love and life. The snappy 'Everybody' stands out, along with 'Back In Time', a sober ballad about an ex-boyfriend, passionately delivered as if they broke up five minutes ago.

It's likely VV will be compared to the recent spate of UK female vocalists. She's got the gung-ho spirit of Nash and Allen, and even a few brushes of Winehouse's sentimental bar-room jazz. But VV makes it clear she's in her own zone, particularly when she's throwing whimsical shapes and romping along with her two guitarists and drummer. A cover of the Rolling Stones' 'Miss You' produces another unique, rollicking display, before Miss Brown wraps up with the super-catchy 'Crying Blood'. Even when she flips it to a reggae version, she never misses a beat.

This time, the hype might actually be justified.

Matilda Egere-Cooper