Ben Montague @ Soho House, Old Compton Street

From supporting The Wanted on their UK arena tour to the refined opulence of Soho House, the past few months have been quite a journey for Ben Montague. And it’s in the environs of the latter that we find him tonight, treating the assembled audience to a truly intimate performance. Stripped back to an uncluttered minimum, Montague’s vocals were given room to shine to the fore – and what a voice, a rousing statement of intent that stands as a rallying call for a fresh British male solo artist to finally stand up there alongside the influx of songstresses we’ve had of late.

Montague’s four-track set - comprising well-rounded numbers Another Heart Fall and Pull The Trigger, intensely moving piano ballad Haunted and current single Love Like Stars – presented a talent very much occupying that tricky middle-ground of commercial appeal. The songs have the instant pop hooks to sway the likes of Radio 1’s playlisting committee, but beyond that, there’s a maturity in the lyrics and production that speaks to an older audience too. It’s Montague’s knack at straddling both at once that really stands out, and gives the impression that his upcoming debut LP Tales of Flying and Falling will be impressively consistent.

Interspersing his set with cheeky banter and the proficiency of a singer very much within the classic vein – born of hours on the road and a simple enthusiasm for what he does – Montague is a leather jacketed troubadour of the old ways for new, modern times.

Love Like Stars is released on the 18^th June.

Ben Montague - Love Like Stars

Fresh from supporting The Wanted lads on tour, up and coming singer-songwriter Ben Montague is wasting no time in getting his name about. His debut album Tales Of Flying and Falling is set for release later this year and even the title seems to cry out at not only the trials and tribulations of existing within the turbulent music industry, but the ups and downs we all go through in life. Lead single Love Like Stars is packed with that same youthful, boyish charm the Wanted have, but distilled down into the essence of one man. Montague's voice is a beacon, effortlessly clear, touching and lighting from verse to chorus with sublime ease.

Firmly situated in the bedrock of good, honest pop-rock, it's everything Matt Cardle's ill-fated album should have been, but never quite managed to achieve. Because what Montague has on his side is proper, genuine likeability, and passion. Love Like Stars is brimming with it, spilling it from the seams of every hook. It's epic in the most tastefully restrained of ways, and comes with the sort of well-dressed commerciality to appeal to both the Radio 1 and Radio 2 crowds. A song firmly rooted in the perfect middle ground then, but one that works the sensibilities of that middle ground to its limits, all the better to showcase his clearly evident talents.

If you didn't get a chance to catch Ben Montague on The Wanted tour, or if you just fancy some more of him, you can catch him on his forthcoming headline tour throughout June.

Love Like Stars is released on the 18th June.