Hannah Cohen at Corsica Studios

Making their London debut, the American trio performing under the name of singer and model, Hannah Cohen, introduce a moody-but-translucent sound into the streets of Elephant and Castle to promote the release of their upcoming LP Pleasure Boy, which will be available on 30th March, 2015.

The set opens with Take the Rest and Lilacs, which are both best described as dreampop, before they kick up the pace with their jazz-fusion track, Fake It. Throughout the first three songs, Cohen seems to lack the confidence to project her voice above her accompanying keyboardist and drummer, which results in her being drowned out badly. It isn’t until the fourth song that she convinces us that she can really sing.

For Claremont, the trio strip everything down to a bare solo performance by Cohen, which consists only of her playing guitar. It is at this time that any potential question of her voice being too weak or, perhaps, that she might be lip syncing, is dismissed, as she singlehandedly showcases her talent.

From this point forward, the three-piece find their footing together, performing the remaining four tracks with great authority. Even though Cohen never appears fully sure of herself on stage as a front-woman, her nervousness comes across as charming, which helps gain the support of the audience, who make sure to give loud applause and whistles after each song.

The Norah Jones/Lana Del Rey fusion finish their set with an atmospheric and sombre track, Watching You Fall, in which Cohen finally comes to life. It would certainly be interesting to hear the show’s improvement, were there to be two extra songs post-warm-up.

Despite the hot-and-cold performance, Cohen gains traction over time, with the help of a solid backing outfit. Considering this is only the trio’s third live show together, they still have a lot to learn, but are certainly on the right track.

David McGroarty-Manley
Photos: Erol Birsen

 

 

For further information about Hannah Cohen and future events visit here.

Watch the video for The Crying Game here: