CHARLS at the House of Koko

In an upstairs room of Ellen’s Bar, House of Koko, in Camden, a reinvention of sorts was taking place. The details of a breakup were shared, and a cheating ex was hung out to dry. But this was no Carrie Underwood-style man-blast affair. It was intimate. It was emotional. It was thoughtful. It was Charlotte Jane – the artist previously signed by Elton John – reintroducing herself as CHARLS, revealing her newfound “spark” born out of heartbreak, and the rich, sultry sound that comes with it.

CHARLS showcased seven songs, opening with Heads Up (the lilting first single of this new musical era), before moving on to the punchier tracks like Trust My Gut. During her performance of the as-of-yet unreleased track, No Better, the artist paused, holding back tears before singing the final few lines. Audible gasps and “oofs” rattled through the closely packed audience as they clung tightly to her story, entirely captivated by what was on stage.

The singer is evidently a natural-born performer. The setlist was interspersed with tiny details of the artist’s journey – from becoming a personal trainer (she jokingly glances at her impressive biceps at one point), to moving to London from Hull into the perfect Battersea girl flat, to recording this new music, surrounded by old friends and new. Her tale of pain to confidence is told through jokes. CHARLS engages with the crowd, giving us asides of which gossipy lyrics are true, getting us to chant back the echo “YOU CHEATED” in between lines, praising our childlike assembly-esque obedience as we do it.

But this commitment to humour does somewhat break the spell at points. The artist is even aware of her reliance on comedy to move through the challenging feelings. There is a sense that if she were to linger in the heartbreak for a second longer and let the music speak for itself, that the room would be silenced, immersed in both what is happening on stage and within their own experiences of the subject.

Instead, you leave earnestly wishing for her success, but wanting to remain within this tumultuous world she has so vividly painted. As CHARLS played Begging On My Birthday, the final track of the night, and her latest single, you could feel the people wanting more. And we will get it, she tells us: a new album is coming soon. Though we’ll have to wait, clinging on to the beauty of what already exists. A warning to exes everywhere of the quiet power of a woman scorned.