“This is my favourite venue” Emmy Lee Moss (AKA Emmy the Great) declares on stage at The Norwich Arts Centre, a perfectly fitting venue for her quaint acoustic-indie-pop performance. Support acts tonight, Young Husband and Ex Lovers, provide an opening of loveable jangly guitars preparing onlookers for a night of light and breezy ditties for the Indie kids of today. Neither, however, are capable of keeping the attention of the audience’s complete demographic, leaving many waiting for Emmy and co in the bar.

The petite cult icon of anti-Nash wears unglamorous attire reflecting her relaxed and friendly onstage stance. The headlining set begins with an acoustic solo from Emmy, enticing the crowd into an attentive silence. By the band’s entrance the hall is hanging on every lyric she places upon the layers lain down by her backing musicians. ‘We are Emmy The Great’ she says honouring her technically superb band as they strike up another, fiddle’s and all; the snapping drums driving the whole set forwards.

Highlights of the set include the title track of her debut album ‘First Love’, which manages to be upbeat despite it’s melancholy honest depiction of young romance, not unlike in character to it’s Maccabees namesake, yet more stripped down. Love song of places and people, ‘City Song’, is easy to relate to for audience, especially one from as musically driven a city as Norwich. Along with the Suzanne Vega-esque ‘Short Country Song’ it perfectly showcases her talent for lyrics and tales.

The music of Emmy The Great is for fans of similar young ambitious types such as Laura Marling or, perhaps more obviously, Kimya Dawson. It’s their use of intertwining lyrics and twee guitar plucking that joins them together, but it’s Emmy The Great who shows she can appeal to both tight jeaned teens and 40 something men alike. Tonight’s gig is the first encounter with Emmy The Great for many, and makes a first impression that is consistently beautiful, although sometimes generic sounding from song to song, and certainly fitting for a summer’s day or winter’s evening such as this.

The melodies of her simple songs bounce of the columns of the old church surrounds to leave listeners with a feeling of well being after a night of reflection. This is not the kind of gig you attend as a starting point to a night with the intention being to end up frazzled, but Emmy has created a sense of familiarity for the audience and a perfect foundation to build her fan base. It’s not surprising that just one week later both branches of HMV in Norwich has sold out of this former near-unknown artist’s debut.

Words > Amy Wilkes