Niamh Crowther at Whelan’s – Review

Niamh Crowther’s ‘Little by Little’ celebrated its launch upstairs in Whelan’s. Having only been released several days ago, the single is already sitting pretty in the iTunes chart as well as being featured on Spotify playlists and listened to by the masses.

First up to the stage was Alice Kiernan, playing to an already generously filled room. She is instantly a likeable performer with a clear talent for songwriting, most notable with the catchy and oh so nicely arranged ‘Games Begin’. She varied her set with a mix of originals and covers, while also highlighting her acoustic abilities. She was also well able to sell herself and inform people where they could check out more of her music.

After a bit of a wait, Niamh herself takes to the stage. The 18 year old from Ashbourne, Co. Meath looks completely at home up there. Being the upstairs venue makes it even more special, like a little secret alcove that only the coolest of the cool get to know about. Her vocals are in a unique world of their own, with a distinct sweetness and exceptional range beyond her years. Couple this with her acoustic abilities and it seals the deal on her quality as a live act, especially evident as she launches into ‘Bullets’. Her vocal performance has high notes coming at you in quick succession, and at points it’s almost as if she’s in an excited rush to show everything that she’s got. This high energy continues into ‘Green Eyed Monster’, where she shows an additional talent of playing the keyboard with ease.

‘Origins’ is received so well, with everyone turning to attention for the gentle tones that it brings. Being joined on stage with more acoustics and also a cajon is so effective for a live version of ‘Little by Little’. The song progression is spot on, making it perfect for those radio airwaves. I also liked this track as it builds Niamh’s voice nicely and then quickly reigns it back in to keep you listening for more. This is an aspect I think she will continue to gain experience in as both her sound and songwriting skills grow, but it’s definitely in the right direction. You’re reminded again of her smooth acoustic capabilities for an impressive instrumental during ‘Painkillers’, and with the support of the band on stage she put a nice spin on Sam Sparro’s ‘Black and Gold’.

There was a lot of family support there and friends too, but even taking that into consideration it’s important for Niamh to remember to perform for a full audience and sell herself as the talented artist she is. There were quite a few stops and starts for guitar changes where she joked and kept people interested, but instances like that are perfect opportunities to say plug a social media account or even pin-point where you’d find more of her music etc. She’s a bubbly and confident character who’s raring to go and give it loads when performing. However she still needs to recognise just how good she is and fine-tune her live act, then she’ll be on her way to great things.

Review by Nicole Leggett