Jack Savoretti at Somerset House

Adele and Sia are much praised in the music industry for the raw emotion they inject into their music. Whether working with their director Sam Dixon imparted the same energy to Jack Savoretti (despite how close he came to quitting the music business), his setlist at Somerset House to promote his new album Written in Scars oozed with reignited passion.

Initially known for solo acoustic material, Savoretti kept his setlist alive with a variety of tempo across his songs – his newer material in essence is about rhythm. From the beautiful piano intro of Catapult, an obvious fan favourite, to the tambourine of The Other Side of Love, to the drums of Home, his new record bounces between beats throughout, with an unmistakable influence of his Italian routes.

Somerset House’s crowd is a hard one to please, with many after-work drinkers crowding the pop-up bars to relieve a day of stress, but Savoretti managed it. His Californian drawl carried easily across the open arena, the singer quipping about why The Proposal is nicknamed his worse song, as well as paying homage to the beauty in London in such appalling weather, and remembering the recent victims in Nice.

He is right to keep playing his earlier work, from his self-professed “learning days”. His DIY Between the Minds album (of 2007) was picked up by BBC Radio 2 for a reason, and his performance of Vagabond from Before the Storm (2012) gave the stamp of success to his previous material. His cover of the unreleased Bob Dylan song Nobody ‘Cept You is a noteworthy feat.

Whether it be his trademark husky voice that drenches each lyric in emotion or his aggressive guitar strumming, there is no denial that Savoretti has put his heart into his fourth album. He pinballs from slow melody to upbeat groove so expertly, it is hard not to give in to the uplifting atmosphere his music creates, and why not?

Melissa Hoban
Photos: Emma Dean

For further information about Jack Savoretti and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Catapult here: