With shows selling out fast, James Blunt is under pressure to perform. After upgrading to a larger venue, it’s safe to say there’s a lot riding on tonight’s London show.

Armed with one debut album, Back To Bedlam, one guitar, and a bottle of beer, he takes to the stage of a sold-out Scala. With a loyal band behind him, he strikes the first chord of opening song ‘High’ with the audience’s reaction split down the middle – one half is in awe, while the rest want to appear too sophisticated to let go.

One of Blunt’s most endearing qualities is the distinctive tone of his voice; it is truly not like anything else one has heard before, although the raw performance he gives has been compared to the likes of Damien Rice and David Gray. Blunt runs through his 10 track album with ease, stopping only to explain the story behind various songs, such as ‘Billy’, ‘Out Of My Mind’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover’ which are meant to be heard live. New single ‘Wise Men’ is received with great enthusiasm and only topped with the encore ‘You’re So Beautiful’.

For a man who previously served in the army, Blunt deserves credit for some of the most beautiful music floating around at the moment. One can only hope that while he succeeds, he does not sell out in every sense of the word.
(4½/5)

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