Lou Doillon, Bush Hall

Much has been made of Lou Doillon’s heritage. The daughter of Jacques Doillon and Jane Birkin, her bohemian ancestry has occasionally threatened to overshadow her own achievements. This oughtn't to be so; as her sophomore album Lay Low made exquisitely manifest, she’s got a real knack for songwriting.

She takes most of her cues from soul and folk music, never more effectively than on ‘Where to Start?’ Her voice is deep, assured and, perhaps most surprisingly, inflected with an occasional Southern twang. It sits perfectly atop ponderous basslines, clanking piano chords, and bittersweet, almost rockabilly, guitars. And while her music is rueful, it’s got more than enough swing to avoid outright melancholy.

It's music designed to be played live, full of haunting reverberations, so make sure to get tickets for Doillon's Bush Hall show.