Ayala

The distance between Los Angeles and Dublin is 5,157 miles which provides the title to both her current single and opening track here tonight. It is a soft effort that understands its calling in a way that clearly connects. The savoury details fall into place alongside the lovely lift in her voice, but it is also finely fastened together from how the guitar plays out on it. Her next song ‘Siren’ is another savoury effort but it also has a spry manner to it that is noted. It is well framed in terms of arrangement. This is closed in on from the narrow respects and again the acoustic guitar seems to round it all out in a more defined way. She then procures a more enigmatic opening to fine effect with ‘Don’t Fix It’. This is fast and resilient. This is held in a way that takes pride of place in the tight and equalised weight of the delivery. What is fixated in the running here is a light eccentricity that is pleasing to hear.

The listless roll in the tempo of ‘Maybe’ gives it character. The fine burst on show freely brings it all around and gives it lift as it falls across the workings. The occupancy in the delivery seems to fit all the attributes in an excellent way. This is seen through with considerate charm. As it plays through it seems to impart a heartfelt sensibility that holds true. An angry song then comes next with ‘Russian Roulette’. This is a tune with a robust kick in the guitar that picks up the tempo rather generously. What collects is rather sturdy and this active calling is concentrated in a way that gets under the running. Here she raises her game and there is a real PJ Harvey vibe about it all. A reprise then sees her orchestrate the audience into an impromptu choir and it was really an excellent show of confidence as she did so. Her closing number was ‘Story’. Again this has a lightness of touch in the tempo that shows. It is a catchy tune but it also has a lot of style about it in the right way. This is felt out brilliantly and has everything going for it. But it also shows a highly inventive side to her as an artist at the same time. - Scene & Heard (written by Unsigned&Independent)