The happiest, most confident Sea of Bees set we've seen so far

An actual sea of bees, despite providing a phenomenal visual spectacle embodying the stark majesty of nature, would most likely be deafeningly loud, deeply discomforting and be punctuated by the screams of thousands of flailing human beings - not unlike your average Swans gig. Happily (or not, depending on your point of view), that wouldn’t be an accurate description of what transpired at St. John in Bethnal Green tonight (30th June). What Jules specialises in is more subtle pleasures; confessional, quirky, unpretentious songs, tied together by her low-key charm and beguiling vocals. And what better place to accentuate those qualities than a beautiful, Grade 1 listed church?

In most circumstances, the answer to that would be “nowhere”, but there’s a couple of minor caveats. Firstly, we’re in the middle of an allegedly apocalyptic heatwave and 18th century chapels, for all their grandeur and socio-historical import, aren’t renowned for their unsurpassed ventilation. Secondly, Jules is rocking the full band this time around - a state of affairs which would normally be entirely positive. Unfortunately, the acoustics at the church just don’t lend themselves well to electric guitars and pounding drums - there’s a certain echoey, unfocused quality to some of the more upbeat numbers that occasionally does her music disservice.

But those quibbles aside, there’s a lot to enjoy tonight. The show begins with Jules singing a capella atop the church pulpit, completely without amplification. Now, her voice isn’t the most powerful in the world- it tends to waver from time to time- but in terms of atmospherics, it’s something special to behold. Lying somewhere between Cat Power, Joanna Newsom and SOAK, it’s got an unusual timbre, warm yet with an edge; understated, tender yet infused with emotion. This vocal showcase is a fine introduction to what is always one of the two highlights of a Sea of Bees performances (the other being Jules’ slightly offbeat, but always endearing banter), and it’s almost a shame that there aren’t more moments in this vein.

The rest of the set is good fun, taking advantage of the sunnier, less angsty outlook of her most recent release, “Build A Boat To The Sun.” Although, as previously mentioned, the choice of venue doesn’t always lend itself to the show’s rockier moments, it is also a pleasure to hear some of her richer songs brought to life with the aid of additional musicians. Jules certainly seems happier and more confident than in the past, and in many ways that’s as heartening as the quality of her new album. Tonight may not have been as classic a performance as her solo show at the Westminster Reference Library in 2011, but nonetheless it served as a welcome reminder of an eccentric, singular and underrated talent.