Emmy The Great is, to be obvious, pretty great. As one of the infamous anti-folksters that are seemingly reviving the British folk scene these days, the 24-year-old troubadour who fronts the band initially went quite unnoticed in the indie-folk community. This was not, however, due to a lack of talent or appeal by any means. Rather, it had to do with the fact she spent her first year in the industry stacking up a collection of critically acclaimed live performances nationwide, and thus didn’t get round to recording an album until the end of 2008.

Now that Emmy’s music is travelling all around the globe on a daily basis (or in less subtle terms, now that the album’s recorded and available online), there’s an audible buzz resonating through the newly trendified musical underground; and whose name is on everyone’s lips? Why, Emmy The Great, of course!

So when Norwich Arts Centre announced that Emmy and friends were coming to town, an eclectic crowd of interesting individuals gathered at the kitsch ‘n’ cosy little venue to find out exactly what all the fuss was about. I’m glad to say, Emmy The Great was no disappointment.

Support was provided by Young Husband and Ex-Lovers, two unashamedly indie bands who have some real potential between them. Young Husband produce funk-infused indie with a chaotic rock tilt; they have a fantastic energy about them, and though the songs can be a little repetitive, they don’t get boring. Ex-Lovers offer trance-like melodies with a somewhat smooth sophistication that’s quite unexpected from the outward appearance of these indie kids. They’re relatively listenable, but have an unfortunate mediocre streak every now and again.

Emmy The Great was a picture of elegant brilliance, from the gorgeous acoustic guitar riffs to the tantalising, tap-your-foot-along quality of the violin. Each song demonstrates inventive, dynamic songwriting. Amazingly, lively lyrical metaphors vary from Sky One’s ’24′ to Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’; to say the least, Emmy’s something unintentionally but absolutely unique.

An intoxicating performance from an artist who possesses the ease to make it look effortless, without even a hint of self-importance. Emmy The Great’s debut album, titled ‘First Love’ was released on February 9th in the UK, and is available worldwide now through Amazon and iTunes. Go out and get your copy now, kids; this one’s here to stay!

-Lauren Razavi