The Great Escape: Hannah Cohen, Unitarian Church, Brighton, May 10

A quick scan of the programme revealed I was going to be watching Hannah Cohen, an Anglo-American singer songwriter.

Disappointed by the lack of bar – well, it is a church – but pleased to be out of the rain, I decided to stay.

Walking on to the stage, Hannah’s 6ft frame and slim hips certainly drew attention.

Then came her voice – shy and delicate but by no means pitch-perfect, it grabbed the crowd from the first verse and held them until the last.

At the outset I was worried about the church’s stained-glass windows. But there was no need, her voice glided effortlessly over the audience’s heads and out the doors on to New Road.

By the end of the first song the room was all but full.

The tinny chimes of her guitar and occasional soft notes from the piano complemented her hushed singing style.

Having travelled the world working as a model, Hannah decided to teach herself guitar and began to write music.

The resulting songs can probably best be described as melancholic and rather twee. The comparison that springs to mind is that of a young Norah Jones, albeit slightly rough around the edges.

Don’t get me wrong, her music is lovely. But then again, so are thousands of other singer-songwriters.