Rising star Rosie Nimmo played an intimate gig in the Back Room of the Acoustic Music Centre, performing songs from both of her albums ‘Home’ and ‘Lazy and Mellow’.
An Edinburgh local, Nimmo seemed at ease with the crowd and struck up a rapport with the audience quickly, leading them in song on two separate occasions. Her music - focusing on inoffensive themes like family and home - rarely touches on new ground, but her soft and warm take on Americana and blues certainly has its own character.
Opening with a guest appearance from her son, Michael Nimmo, she launched her performance with a brace of songs including a truncated version of ‘Joy’. An especial highlight of the set was the heartfelt song about her last child leaving home, showing that Nimmo is as much a storyteller as a songwriter.
With a simple set up for her backing band - electric guitar, bass and cello to match her own acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement - Nimmo’s stripped-back sound places her comfortably in a niche of folk and blues that, whilst harmless, still makes for good listening.
Overall, Nimmo’s work is well-produced and performed at a high level of musicianship, even if the content is less edgy than some of her contemporaries. The audience was clearly loving her music and it was hard not to soak up some of their enthusiasm.