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Review: R.LUM.R @ Birthdays, London

The rising star wows at the intimate London venue.

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London’s intimate and stripped back venue, Birthdays, tonight plays host to two exciting emerging stars, from the riffed out electro-pop of hometown trio PLYA to the modern soul of stateside headliner R.LUM.R.

PLYA inject some serious energy into the evening’s early proceedings, their sound channeling the electronic euphoria of CHVRCHES and their ilk, yet elevated by lead guitarist Kristian’s occasional riffs. The full band aesthetic is only enhanced when vocalist and synth aficionado Julia takes on guitar duties, balancing between delicate tones and an explosive attitude. Their set perfectly showcases both sides of their unique coin, as soaring as it is claustrophobic; a moment of heavy and light.

PLYA - Adrenaline (Official Audio)

 

Nashville resident R.LUM.R clearly has a dedicated fanbase here in the UK, as the crowd fills and shifts forward anticipating his return to a London stage. His headline show corresponds with the release of the alternate, stripped back version of AFTERIMAGE, cleverly titled ALTERIMAGE, which sees him take his pop infused sounds and propel his notable soulful tones to the forefront.

Tonight mirrors the transitions, gliding effortlessly from the melody driven Frustrated and Suddenly to experimental versions of previously released tracks. The most notable moment comes as he disregards his recorded material in favour of debuting new songs. In these he finds the midpoint between his radio friendly sound and his evident passion for his genre’s roots. Covers of both The 1975 and Frank Ocean highlight his varying influences from which he has pulled together a coherent, beautiful and well crafted sound.

R.LUM.R is extremely comfortable on stage. He effortlessly curates an intimate atmosphere in-keeping with the venue. It’s as much of a living room session as it is a headline show, all the while his melodies drive the performance forward. His abundant charm provides the foundation for his exciting music, together cementing his status as a rising star. Bigger stages definitely await.

R.LUM.R - Frustrated (Official Video)

 

There are no more R.LUM.R dates just yet, but follow him on Ticketmaster.co.uk to be one of the first to know when he’s set to return.