Emmy the Great at Cecil Sharp House

At last week's gig at the Cecil Sharp House in Camden, Emma Lee-Moss of Emmy the Great jokingly announced that they are not a folk music band. Which was ironic as the venue they were playing was the headquarters to the English Folk Dance and Song Society. A rather fitting venue to Emmy the Great, whose music has been described as anti-folk or indie folk.

Back on the release of Emmy the Great's second album Virtue, Emma pointed out how the album was shaped by the decision of her then fiancée for breaking the engagement in order to chase god. She now dates Tim from the Britrock band Ash, but that is besides the point. The set piece consists mainly of music from the new album who she shared much of its production with people on Pledge Music, often (and I agree) said to be more mainstream than her folksy debut album First Love.

The venue lent an atmosphere of intimacy and audiences were as close to Emma as they can ever be. Sadly the sound system left much to be desired and was not able to cope with Emma's powerful and beautiful voice - often ringing. It was also too loud, an unfortunate downside of being a music fan in 2011 when there is no end in sight to the pointless and musicality atrocious loudness war.

For more pictures of Emmy the Great's gig at Cecil Sharp House please visit my Flickr page.