The Elbow Rooms is an odd venue, where the pool players play on in the background and the Sunday drinkers go about their business. But, with a voice that can't fail to move and an attitude impossible to ignore, Carina Round has got a better chance than most of bringing a gig to life here.
The recent release of her debut album, 'The First Blood Mystery', has seen Carina touring up and down the country and steadily building a strong following. Opener, 'Damn Your Eyes', is sung entirely unaccompanied and contains as much raw soul as it does pure gut-wrenching emotion. It's the right song, dragging the collective attentions from the pints and the pool cues.
Joined by drummer Marcus Galley and double-bass player Simon Smith, the band follows with 'The Lightbulb Song'. With a strong collective sound and an obvious enjoyment of playing together, this band is a refreshingly tight unit.
'The Waves' is a softer, more vulnerable sound, providing a little breathing space before the standout track of the day (arguably the album's finest moment ) 'Let It Fall'. Introducing the song with candour, Round reveals a gentle humour and soft intonation, a contrast to the arresting power of her vocal.
'Let It Fall' is an emotional powerhouse of a song, with a rhythm to get the feet moving and a captivating vocal hook. It is strong on the album, but has to be heard live to be fully appreciated.
As Carina Round ends the set with 'On Leaving', it isn't hard to gauge the mood. The audience stands for a moment, caught up in what they just witnessed. And then the familiar clink of the glasses, and click of cue on ball resumes.
