Lianne La Havas, Royal Albert Hall

Lianne La Havas sings with a voice that’s powerful beyond her years. She cites Erykah Badu, Laura Marling, and Alabama Shakes among her influences, and shares with these with these artists an undeniable self-possession. She’s a musician who isn’t afraid to put her vocals front and centre, whether they’re ardent or elegiac.

Released when she was just twenty two, her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? marked the arrival of a promising talent. While the arrangements might have been a little staid, the force of her delivery and bite of her lyrics (‘waste all your time writing love songs/ but you don't love me’) made critics pay attention.

Released this year, Blood sets La Havas’ commanding vocals against a richer sonic backdrop. The album begins with a slow-building vocal crescendo that gives way somewhere near the one-minute mark to a writhing bassline, and rhythmically nimble vocals. Thereafter, the album goes from strength to strength. From the mournful, Radiohead-esque arpeggios of ‘Tokyo’ to the brass-bolstered swagger of ‘Midnight’, La Havas’ voice shines against whatever instrumental backdrop she might choose.

She plays the Royal Albert Hall on March 14.