AFTER a washed-out day, Sam Brookes’s keening blue melodies were something of a tonic.

Brookes was an unassuming frontman, not one for unnecessary chit chat, but ready with a one liner when required. His 2014 album Kairos drew comparisons with dead icons Tim Buckley and Nick Drake, and as usual these proved wide of the mark.

There was no octave-spanning shrieks or catatonic mumbling; Brookes seemed more self-assured than possessed. The former chorister’s voice was certainly the calling card; a thing of beauty and power – as evidenced by the closing encore played in the bosom of the audience (achieved at this intimate venue by moving about four paces).

So, a thoughtful man with a wonderful voice, but does he have the songs? The answer sadly is not yet. Like another talented upstart, Jacob Golden, Brookes has a habit of repeating himself within songs, as if carried away, but this trick was overplayed. The elements were pretty much there, a guitar style that can create drama in even the most serene Silent Night; his neat way of creating segueways within songs and his control of those vocal chords.

While Breaking Blue and the multi-tracked You Were There showed most promise, the others lacked the depth to bring those elements together. A singer of huge promise, the singing is at present far more lovable than the songs, so his cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game was welcome.

York’s House Concerts are perhaps the best venue for discovering new artists, and opener Daisy Allan was a local voice with potential. Her set was a likeable ragbag of covers and originals, with her own material actually holding up best, Driftwood being a highlight. With a voice reminiscent of Emiliana Torrini, but from Pocklington rather than Reykjavik, this young newcomer will turn heads if she pursues a musical calling.