LIVE REVIEW: Bairbre Anne

The entirety of the new five-song Sparks EP was showcased in the evening’s setlist of radio-friendly pop with a bite. Backed by a rotating cast of musicians, Bairbre Anne proved to be a triple threat – switching between piano and guitar while simultaneously wowing the crowd with her unique vocals. For some, the stripped down live setting can be a hindrance, but the tracks sound just as good – if not better in some cases – live. Lead single ‘It’s You’ is tackled with an upbeat, jazzy flair, while the piano-only version of title track ‘Sparks’ shows off Bairbre Anne’s powerful vocals.
Comparisons to KT Tunstall and Vanessa Carlton are well deserved, but Bairbre Anne’s musical versatility keeps her from being too easily compared to a single artist. Some of the tracks on Sparks venture into Taylor Swift territory with candid lyrics about heartbreak. Throughout the night, as Bairbre Anne shifts from behind the keyboard to an acoustic guitar, she keeps the crowd entertained with her laid back charm and stories of the production of Sparks. The EP features impressive names like Paul Brady and former Counting Crows’ drummer Steve Bowman.
Two covers were incorporated into the set – a stunning rendition Florence + The Machine’s ‘What Kind Of Man’ and a cover of The Civil Wars’ take on Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’, which garnered some attention back in 2013 after being featured on Buzzfeed. Bairbre Anne’s own ‘Time Stands Still’ and ‘Wake Up’ from the 2014 Arrows EP rounded out the setlist.
The evening ended with a special surprise – sparklers that had been distributed at the beginning of the show were enthusiastically lit and waved around by members of the audience. Bairbre Anne’s musical talent is impressive, and even when she steps out from behind the instruments she has the kind of hip-swaying frontwoman confidence that makes it apparent she’s in her element.