Norwich Arts Centre
> Norwich Arts Centre
Stephen Fretwell showed why he is tipped as Britain's next big male singer-songwriter with an intimate gig last night in Norwich.
The 23-year-old from Salford ambled amiably through a set that mixed familiar numbers from his album Magpie with new and old songs.
It's a sign of how quickly his star has risen that he still seemed genuinely touched to have an audience, let alone one this appreciative.
If the set seemed a touch short at 40 minutes, the acoustic encore made up for that.
For me, it was these acoustic- only songs, such as hit single Emily, that were the real highlights, with his crystal clear voice and precise guitar- picking really able to ring out, like a sharper, tougher Chris Martin.
Closing song New York displayed his ear for an acute lyric too, bringing a classic let's-escape-together ode to “A place I've heard on the radio never sleeps”.
Strong support came from Liam Frost and Hush.
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