ONE of the newest talents to emerge on the British music scene wowed a sell-out audience at The Sage.

Singer/songwriter Rumer brought an intensity to the packed venue that had people glued to their seats for the 75-minute show, which was only interrupted by rapturous applause as she moved from one chilled-out track to the next.

With thought-provoking and personal life-story lyrics, Rumer gave a faultless rendition of her debut album Seasons of My Soul – including the sensational Slow – which has sold more than 400,000 copies since its release on November 1 and has held firm in the top ten for much of this year.

And such was her noteperfect vocals and seamless acoustic backing from her band that if you had closed your eyes for only a moment, you would have believed you were listening to her CD in the comfort of your home.

It’s rare that an artist manages to sound as perfect live as they do in the studio with the help of synthesisers and computers, but Rumer pulled it off effortlessly.

Her incredible voice, which is both soft and powerful, has been likened to the great Karen Carpenter with good reason, yet she brings something new to the music scene that is being recognised both here and abroad.

It is little wonder, therefore, that she has already been nominated for a string of awards and is enjoying a sellout tour.

If there was a slight criticism, however, it would be that Rumer needs to develop her stage presence to make her live performances more than just a rendition of her album.

She may be shy and new to the spotlight, but she needs to come out from behind her hair and her dowdy stage clothes and interact with the audience and her band a little more.

The audience need to feel as though they have really experienced Rumer live, otherwise they may as well have stayed at home and listened to her CD.

Karen Westcott