The Royal Albert Hall is not, you would think, a venue likely to host someone like Micachu. An up and coming voice, this 21-year-old singer/songwriter/MC is a favourite of indie/grime artists Man Like Me and Jack Peñate.

She makes music with all sorts of instruments, from hoovers to found objects. But dig a little deeper and you find a versatile, classically trained artist with pop sensibilities and a streak of East London panache. Having been commissioned to write a symphony for the London Philharmonic Orchestra which was performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert doesn’t seem to so out of context for this virtuoso after all.

Tonight was part of Hush, a series of events crafted to support breakthrough UK artists. Staged in the plush and intimate Elgar Room, Micachu took to the stage with her touring band The Shapes, and instantly had the audience bouncing along to her unique breed of intricate, ramshackle pop. For someone so diminutive, she has a surprisingly soulful baritone that blends into the music like an instrument.

Whilst the set was a little short, the quality of Micachu’s live sound is amazingly fresh, delivering her unique skills with laidback zest and a tempered charisma belying her years. The catchy ‘Curly Teeth’ had many a head nodding, whilst latest single ‘Golden Phone’ was clearly a favourite.

Her eagerly awaited debut album Jewellery, produced by influential electronic musician Matthew Herbert, is expected to be released in January 2009.

Charlotte Richardson Andrews