Live: Lucy Rose @ the El Rey, 2.15.12

Photos by David Greenwald

Lucy Rose, wow. The UK singer’s first L.A. appearance felt less like an opening set and more like an industry showcase, clocking in at a teasing 20 minutes. But the crowd — the sort of audience that was still young and interested enough to get to the show in time to line up around the block for doors — was robust and respectful, aside from the inevitable “Marry me!” cat-calls. Teenagers: it’s still not funny (and no, it’s not going to work). See, Rose is a pretty British blonde, which may earn her comparison to Laura Marling, though Jose Gonzalez is more apt.

Playing without the sleek band of her thus-far singles, she took the stage armed with an acoustic guitar, fingerpicking in a rhythmic, bass-note driven style that gave her songs energy and complexity beyond traditionalist folk balladry. Her lyrics are less Marling’s striving poetry than straightforward relationship narratives — which is fine, since they’re ultimately vehicles for her voice, a quiet, breathy instrument with startling precision. In another life, “Middle of the Bed” could be a Kelly Clarkson single. As is, it ought to land Lucy Rose a bright career, or at least a few more minutes on stage.