After dismissing Emeli Sande as not as aggravating as Adele but that’s about the best you can say about her, since first hearing her when working the UK charts back in March 2012, the single “Next To You” caught my ear and kept. Well, one song does not an r&b soulstress make and while if the stupid bus driver taking me to IZOD Center hadn’t turned left when she should have turned right on the way to Coldplay and made it in time for me to see Emeli’s opening opening set, I might have fallen a little earlier, it has been the slow drift from endless weeks of writing the Charts with Emeli right in the middle, and giving the album a quick spin.
Unlike Adele, where familiarity bred contempt, the album grew on me and as UK records sold like honey and UK RECORDS dropped like flies, I went from really not getting the appeal of the lovely voiced but essentially boring Hallmark card to a grudging admiration. The two
When she played around town late last year, I passed but when news of a Summerstage gig arrived I decided to see if she can sell me stronger on stage. Emile, with Rudimental who have been a presence in the UK all year opening, is playing Rumsey Playfield on August 28th. A Tuesday, true, but they are off the stage by 1030p because of noise regulations.
Me? You will find me next to her. Here is her latest song.