United in community spirit by the extreme weather conditions (i.e. six inches of snow) outside, which for many people had meant an impromptu day off work, a convivial festival atmosphere (including a fair sprinkling of wellies) prevailed among the crowd at Emmy the Great's Brighton gig on Monday. With the launch of the debut album imminent, the band was evidently excited to be playing to their ideal audience of trendy teen and twenty-something Brightonians. There's been a good deal of buzz surrounding Emmy the Great among the alternative music scene in the past year or so, with recent singles like (album title track) 'First Love' and 'We Almost Had a Baby' getting plenty of airplay on stations such as 6Music, and acclaimed festival appearances including Latitude and Green Man.

A Kate Nash equivalent for the middle classes, Emma-Lee Moss's heartfelt autobiographical ditties blend all the wholesome vigour of 1950s country heroine June Carter with the earnest teen-poetry frankness (and celtic influences) of The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan. She's young and sweet and clearly talented, though the material is something of a one trick pony. As individual songs popping up on shuffle or over the radio they shine with wide-eyed tingly freshness, but heard in prolonged succession, can start to verge on the tiresomely twee. The sharp witty lyrics for which Moss is being lauded get lost in repetitive melody structures and disappointingly detached delivery - more public school recital than rock n roll rendition.

The multi-instrumental band members, including a trumpet-playing drummer and fiddler-come-guitarist, also seemed to be holding back their talents in line with the ingenuous vocals; a pity, as it would have been great to hear them let rip. Comparisons with other contemporary female singer-songwriters - Martha Wainwright, Regina Spektor, Laura Marling etc - are inevitable and highlight the fact that there are plenty of others out there spinning the same sort of schtick but with more...well...balls. It'll be interesting to see how Emmy matures over the next few years, though perhaps it's the whole naive charm thing that appeals to her youthful fans; perhaps, more to the point, it is just far too cool for the over thirties to possibly get.

Emmy the Great's debut album 'First Love' is out on Close Harbour on 9th February.

Rowan Stanfield