GIG REVIEW: Esther Rose, The Lexington, London

Give Esther what she wants!

Deep into her 15-song set at The Lexington, Esther Rose declares: "I'm in my 'want' era."

Preceded by the stat that there are 33 'want's in the title track from her debut album and 77 in total across the LP, five albums in, Rose is clear about what she wants. "I would like to return to the UK with my band," she says earlier in a set where her solo talent is on show.

Touring the recently released Want album, she fully deserves to return with a full ensemble.

One of the records of the year so far, the album is the dominant source of the tracklist in the intimate Islington setting.

First though, Rose strums through a few classics from her back catalogue to find her groove.

Wearing a simple black T-shirt and black leather trousers, hinting at her rock chick persona, Rose nervously smiles at the crowd before launching into favourite 'Wanton Way of Loving'. She encourages a singalong with a shout of 'everybody' quickly followed by a quizzical 'somebody' which belatedly achieves the desired effect.

'Jump Down Baby' comes next with a clap-along encouraged as Rose connects with the crowd and lifts the energy.

'Don't Blame it on the Moon' completes the trio of tunes from her back catalogue before she dips into her latest collection of songs, 'tailspin' the first to get an airing from Want.

An outtake from Want ('Heather') follows - a four-part ode to a barmaid 25 years into the role before a final song from Rose's previous work ('Chet Baker') is played.

From this moment on, it's Want's time to shine. Rose recalls playing a show in her hometown of Santa Fe, serving as a six-track showcase of her new album, and dawdling a visual of the six tracks on some paper. This dawdle now finds its way into a postcard which she then shares with the crowd and announces that attendees can own one of their own via the merch stand.

'Ketamine' is preceded by Rose lamenting her previous drug use and 'Had To' has her hailing her newfound sobriety before giving a shout-out to the 'radio 6 daddies' for supporting its radio airplay.

'New Bad' and 'The Clown' mark a tilt towards playing her best songs as we near the back end of Rose's set. Rose recounts reading a book by Joni Mitchell in which the folk legend said her ideal audience was 30-40 people. Revealing it helped her with her own perspective, she launches into a new song inspired by the revelation, adding a line about 'playing to 120 people at The Lexington' with a melody reminiscent of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'.

Rose saves the best for last as 'Scars' reveals its quiet power, 'Rescue You' cranks things up further with its disturbing references to misdemeanours and court cases and 'Want' delivers to rapturous applause.

Rose's encore is limited to one song, with the singer tantalisingly explaining that she will uphold a Lexington tradition and play a song she's not played live before. Surprisingly, this is 'Want Pt. 2' - the epic closing track of her latest album.

Rather bafflingly, trippy acoustic number 'Messenger' doesn't make the set list but that minor gripe aside, the gig showcases Rose's talent and the strength of Want. Surely she has earned the right to return to the UK with a full band? The campaign starts here. #BackWithTheBand