Joesef, Glasgow review: 'light-touch soul'

Joesef, Art School, Glasgow ★★★★

There was pleasure and remembrance in heading up the steep slope of Scott Street to Glasgow School of Art for the first time in years. The Art School’s Student Union was physically untouched by the 2018 fire which gutted the Mackintosh Building but became an economic casualty of the devastation wrought on this part of Sauchiehall Street, and has been closed for gigs for some time.

Native Eastender Joesef is the man to pull off the dust sheets in this terrific club venue for a mini-residency he has dubbed “A Weekend at Stephanie’s Place” in reference to the new single with which he opened his set. Stephanie’s Place is another immaculately produced iteration of his signature mix of light-touch soul and heavy emotional lyricism. “I’m a heartbreak away from being blood on your hands,” he sang over tasty Eighties-style R&B funk. Later in the set, he debuted another new song, Cynical, with a stealthy swing.

Joesef

“This next song’s about you,” he told the hometown crowd on the first of three nights in the room. East End Coast is an expat love letter to Glasgow like no other. The pull is such that Joesef has now moved back home from London and his homecoming party was soundtracked by the summer soul pop bounce of It’s Been A Little Heavy Lately and the liberated optimism of The Sun Is Up Forever, written for his mum.

Joesef’s music spotlights gay male desire and heartache, much of it delivered in fragile falsetto, but the musical vibe was summery and carefree on Does It Make You Feel Good? The squeals from the audience suggested an affirmative response.

There was respectful silence in an otherwise rowdy room for his solo encore of Limbo, before his band returned to finish the job, assist on a perfectly matched rendition of Sister Sledge's Thinking Of You and cover while Joesef dived into the crowd during closing celebration, Joe.

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