Gig review: Charlene Soraia; Glasgow Oran Mor

A certain sense of conviviality is a plus if you’re a semi-acoustic artist who plays intimate gigs which rely on just your voice and a delicate array of songs.

Charlene Soraia took this idea and ran with it – her set was treated like a night out with friends, and at times it felt like her funny, frank and often confessional asides lasted as long as the songs.

So bold and welcoming was she that it largely covered up for the slim amount of material, albeit most of it of a pleasingly high quality.

As someone who achieved fame and a top three chart hit thanks to their cover of Wherever You Will Go being used to soundtrack a tea advert, Soraia, in fact, seems relatively fully formed as an artist. In a rare moment of apparent self-doubt, she declared that new track Animal – deliver as a prowling stomp thanks to the contributions of her drummer and bassist – almost made her “want to stand up and play. Next time... I think I need to grow in confidence.”

This was music delivered with assurance and poise from the 23-year-old and she has every chance of a next time after the initial buzz has faded.

Whether playing meatier blues with her musicians or wisp-like solo material, Soraia’s voice is her undoubted selling point, a good starting point for every career. Wherever You Will Go obviously soaked up most applause, but her unexpected finale – an unprintably-titled exercise in revenge against the woman who slept with her ex (“she’s quite big now...” she hinted coyly) was raw and unfeasibly amusing. “I’m going to stop waffling now,” she declared after the lengthy explanation. “Oh, but do you want me to talk some more...?” And she was off again.

Rating; ***