For fans of Jesca Hoop, catching her live is a magical treat as she runs the gambit between full-on rock band or stripped down intimate folk. It really depends on the album, the mood and the venue. The beauty of ‘Live at Old Granada Studios’ is that you get a little bit of everything from various points of her career. This makes this live EP a really interesting entry point for new fans too because you can sample all of her wares.

‘Pegasi’ opens the EP with a stunningly tender rendition. It is just Jesca and her guitar and she effortlessly reduces you to a silent whimper as she soars through the octaves towards the end. From there we get an acoustic version of ‘Animal Kingdom Chaotic’ with drum sticks for percussion. Its cute and fun and warms you up for the four track ‘plugged’ set.

The plugged set kicks off with old favourite ‘Tulip’ which is excellently performed whilst ‘Deeper Devastation’ lingers and smoulders in a quieter version than the original. As the guitar production isn’t here to thicken out the mix, Hoop uses her voice to carry a lot of the atmosphere and it works really well. ‘The Lost Sky’ returns to that folksy quirky note picking guitar style Jesca uses so often and the group vocals really make this version shine. The set then closes with ‘Memories Are Now’ which gives things a euphoric ending.

The performance is pitch perfect and things feel different enough to warrant fans to check the EP out. Jesca Hoop is an excellent performer and this live EP puts her versatility on full display. A powerful performance.

Recommended track: Pegasi

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