Review

Review

Review: Matilda Mann at Lafayette, 9/10/24

The singer-songwriter played an intimate set as part of War Child’s Day Of The Girl concert series


Matilda Mann has been writing her debut album since she was four. She’s joking, actually, but it’s been in the works for a long time. The singer-songwriter has been releasing her introspective, delicately guitar-picked indie pop since 2020, in a string of singles and EPs. Now she’s preparing to put out her debut album Roxwell this February, and if the songs she previews to the crowd at Lafayette are any indication, it’s going to be a strong first record.

Even without the live debut of several tracks from the album, some unreleased, it’s a special night. Mann is participating in War Child’s concert series, which annually spotlights some of the hottest rising stars in the industry and raises money for children around the world affected and displaced by war. It is, as Mann puts it, a “wholesome” evening – an apt descriptor. The mood in the room is one of gentle, loving support, and Mann’s confessional, self-exploratory songwriting and soft vocals are well-suited to the intimate Lafayette.

Mann always shines when the instruments are stripped back – her voice is quiet, but robustly controlled, and ballads ‘The Day That I Met You’ and ‘Margaux’ showcase the emotion she is able to deliver. Roxwell’s lead single ‘Tell Me That I’m Wrong’ isn’t a far cry from the formula that she’s perfected, but the album also promises some full band moments. An apparently last-minute addition to the set, upbeat unreleased track ‘See You Later’ stands out, as does Roxwell’s most recent single ‘Say It Back’, a musing on unrequited love somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Olivia Rodrigo.

“I love encores,” says Mann, when she reappears onstage to a chanting crowd. “They’re like peekaboo for adults.” She closes out with 2021’s ‘Bloom’, as sunny and winning a piece of indie pop as there ever was. The track captures everything she does well: smart lyricism with gentle, whimsical instrumentation. When she returns to tour her new record, here’s predicting that it’ll be one not to miss.


Matilda Mann is currently supporting Wallows on tour in the UK. Find tickets here.