Kirsten Hill enjoys a "rich smoky sound" of a singer-songwriter tipped as one of the biggest new artists of 2014

George Ezra, the BBC ‘sound of 2014’ runner up, has come a long way from low-key gigs in Bristol to his latest sell out tour.

Although the phrase "voice beyond their years" is banded about quite a bit, Ezra’s set presented a rich, smoky sound, much suited to the afterhours of the small venue in Oxford.

The range in Ezra’s set points to his unique qualities as an artist. It contained a good mix of relaxed, contemplative ballads to strong festival hits. The atmosphere heightened to the recent free download, Budapest - one of Ezra’s best known and most loved songs. The gravelly tone in his voice resonated over the modest, single guitar and was paired with beautiful lyrics about the selfless aspect of love.

The humble, unpolished feel of Ezra’s performance resounded towards the end of his set.

He willingly responding to the shout-outs and cheers of his supporters from Hertford, and included a promised song he had pledged to play the night before following a request from a friend. “The only thing is I can’t quite remember which key to play it in...” he admitted.

A justified runner up of the promising new talent award, treasured by the likes of Haim and Chvrches. George Ezra is one to watch, his debut EP introducing a refreshing modern take on folk music.