Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth: 'A ridiculous amount of talent on the stage' | Review

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When you see someone around and hear them perform so often the familiarity can blunt your view of their talents – Amba Tremain is the voice that launched a thousand bands.

She’s been involved in numerous local projects covering a wide variety of genres, and is also in demand as a backing singer.

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But it is only in the past year or so that she has decided to step out from behind the covers and push her own original music.

With a five-piece band behind her, plus two phenomenal backing singers (her sister Olivia and Lindsey Bonnick, who co-fronts the brilliant blues-rockers Brave Rival) there is a ridiculous amount of talent on the stage.

Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.
Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.

So far she’s only officially released a four-track EP and a smattering of singles. Most of that gets played here tonight, but in a lengthy 17-song set there is much here that is also new – to these ears at least.

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Opener Yeah! gets things off to a rocking start, and much of tonight leans into the soul/funk end of the musical spectrum.

Tremain’s vocal talents have never been in dispute, her voice is a powerful instrument. She knows when to let rip, but also when to exercise restraint – she knows there’s no need to sing every note X-Factor audition-style just because you can.

Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.
Amba Tremain at The Lens Studio, Portsmouth on June 9, 2023.

But what is a pleasant surprise is the quality of the songwriting. Several of the tracks are instantly familiar enough to sound like a half-remembered song without tipping into pastiche.

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Should Have Let Me Love You is an old-school ballad, Breathe brings a bit of raunch to proceedings, while Keep Me Running swings nicely.

A cover of Angie Stone’s Wish I Didnt Miss You is a welcome addition.

The last song of the main set is Hell, which again brings the funk and features some appropriately firey lead guitar from Liam Robins. It’s a thrilling ride – prog-soul, anyone?

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For the encores we finally get the title track of her EP, Magic which is a slow-burn into a fevered climax before segueing into the closing Righteous, which is righteous in name and nature, an epic of biblical proportions.

As much as I have enjoyed Tremain’s recorded material if they can catch a fraction of their live performances on the forthcoming album, it’s going to be unmissable.