Iraina Mancini hints at a breakthrough in Bristol
Words & Photos: Images by Ellis
★★★★☆
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The Exchange’s intimate main room was an ideal place to hear Iraina Mancini unveil songs from her forthcoming second album, treating those present to a close-up look at an artist with bigger venues in her sights.
Photo: Images by Ellis / Iraina Mancini
First, though, came bonVILLE, the project of Vendela Löfbom, a Swedish singer-songwriter based in Bristol. Playing here as a trio, she was joined by Morgan, who switched between drums and guitar, and Alice, whose violin added atmosphere.
Songs from this summer’s ‘Thunder Season’ EP sat alongside the dreamy ‘Chasing Butterflies’, and all came to life in the close confines of the Exchange. A playful closing song, complete with a laughing refrain, lightened the mood and reinforced the case for catching bonVILLE on the Bristol circuit.
Photo: Images by Ellis / bonVILLE
A DJ whose record box runs from Northern soul to 60s garage rock, Iraina Mancini draws on both without making her songs feel like period pieces. She began with ‘What You Doin’ and ‘Cannonball’ from her debut album, ‘Undo The Blue’, before offering a glimpse of its follow-up, due early next year, including ‘Talk To The Trees’ and ‘I Wonder’. Her commanding voice and stage presence held the room.
‘Sugar High’ brought a burst of summery pop before the band stepped back for ‘Grey Space’, an unrecorded song played with only Adam Chetwood’s guitar, showcasing Mancini’s impressive vocal range. I last saw Chetwood playing with Karen Elson at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017; here, alongside bassist Ben Simon and drummer Oscar Robertson, he helped to bring Mancini’s songs to life.
Photo: Images by Ellis / Iraina Mancini
The garage-flavoured ‘Nowhere To Run’, expected to be a single in November, gave the new material a sharper edge before the familiar ‘Deep End’ (a regular on 6 Music back in 2021) brought the set to a close. Fifty minutes felt short, especially with no encore, but it left us wanting to hear the next album. On tonight’s evidence, 2027 could well be Mancini’s moment.