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Before the Dust Settles is a series of instant gig reviews, written immediately after the show and limited to 200 words.

Band: Eleanor Friedberger, Andrew Wasylyk
Venue: Moth Club, Hackney
Date: 3rd February, 2016

It would be difficult to talk about this show and not mention the Moth Club, which is a restored social club on a side street opposite Hackney Empire. With its sparkling gold-leaf style interior and classic cabaret layout it suits tonight’s two performers perfectly.

Andrew Wasylyk is a musician from Dundee who you may know from the Hazey Janes, and he plays a well-received set of original songs, alternating between piano and guitar. Musically we are in modern easy listening territory, his songs recalling the recent work of Jim O’Rourke or even John Grant.

Of course, everyone is here for Eleanor, and she plays a solo acoustic set focusing on her new record New View, but not afraid of her back catalogue either. There is even a burst of the Fiery Furnaces ‘Widow City’ in there. The new material sounds good like this - it’s a little bit less polished than on the record but that is not a criticism – but ultimately it’s the cracking tunes like ‘When I Knew’ and ‘Stare at the Sun’ that stay with you afterwards. It was a delight to see her in such an intimate setting.