Emeli Sandé at The Drake Hotel – 03/07/2012

Review by Shannon Farrell, Photos by Randall Vasquez.

I am still just buzzing from the Emeli Sandé show at The Drake Hotel last night.

Never heard of her? Well, you will. If Adele’s success is any indication, this rising U.K. star is soon to be on the radar of music-lovers everywhere.

With a killer combination of soulful melodies, resonating lyrics and strikingly beautiful vocals, Scottish-born, Emeli Sandé is quickly becoming a well-known name across the pond and beyond. She was named the Brit Awards Critics’ Choice for 2012. And, this week, she’s taken the number one spot on the U.K. charts with her debut album, Our Version of Events.

Last night’s show was her first in Canada, but the last on her mini-tour of North America. The tour was intended to give us a taste of Emeli’s debut album, not to be released in Canada until June.

The singer/songwriter captivated last night’s underground audience with an intimate set of songs which included U.K. hits such as “Heaven,” “Daddy” and “Next To Me.” From start to finish, the show was the musical equivalent of an ice cream sundae on a hot summer’s day – tasteful, refreshing and oh so cool. Her sophisticated song writing and smooth, yet piercing, vocals swallowed up the small venue and breathed a bit more soul into everyone in it.

There really wasn’t a low point at any point during the show. Her vocals were perfection and the variety of up- to mid-tempo and ballad-like songs kept it interesting.

Each song carried with it a different story. Between sets, Emeli described “Daddy” as her “ode to addiction,” and “Next to Me” as a reminder that we should “celebrate the good people in our lives.” Since, as she noted, “not enough songs on the radio are about that these days.”

It’s as a songwriter where Emeli first found her success. She’s written for the likes of Cheryl Cole, Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle. So, it comes as no surprise that (everyone’s favourite music exec) Simon Cowell, has been quoted as calling her his “favourite songwriter at the minute.” Emeli crafts songs that combine soulful rhythm and honest lyrics with radio-friendly pop melodies – a killer-combination for any star in the making.

An interesting fact about the young singer was brought up before the last song of the evening. She shared with the audience that she studied to become a doctor prior to her success in the music business. During the banter, an audience member held up a sign which read “neuroscientists rule”.

I doubt she’ll be getting back into neuroscience biz any time soon. Instead, I’d expect to hear her on the Canadian radio airwaves in the near future. With her rising success in the U.K., her cross-over to North America is just within reach.