A Denai Moore gig is for listening, not for dancing

13 April 2015, 13:09 | Written by Rory Foster

(Live)

(Denai Moore)

Elsewhere, Denai Moore’s debut album, came out this week. Unsurprisingly she’s rather happy about it; recreating her attempts to reference its release into introductions as she jokes with a welcoming audience. The dark intimacy of Electrowerkz hosts a crowd with genuine affection for this singer-songwriter and it shows – a great deal of respect is given to a set built for listening rather than dancing, and crying rather than laughing.

Despite her natural high from the recent release, Moore’s musical content couldn’t be more removed. Elsewhere is not a happy album by any stretch of the imagination; heartbreak, loss and toil build it from start to finish, meaning any live recreation finds itself burdened with similar vibes. Opening with “I Swore” followed by “Feeling”, Moore’s voice is undoubtedly the star of her show, effortlessly carrying tracks like “Blame” and title track “Elsewhere” with her band filling gaps rather than smothering. As Moore swaps from guitars to keys her band revolve around her, and the three piece support swell to include piece saxophonists and bass for last single "No Light", providing a welcome boost to the relative calm of most tracks.

But Moore is at her most confident during "Gone". One of her oldest songs, she plays it accompanied by just her piano, and stuns the crowd in the process. Closing with album opener "Piano Song", it’s a fitting end to what’s hopefully the beginning of a great career for Moore.