Sarah Macdougall dropped in to Swindon as part of her zigzag tour of the UK and totally captured the hearts of her small audience. It was a real shame more people didn’t catch this engaging singer/songwriter - probably saving themselves for the Big Weekend. Sarah writes some quirky, uptempo songs such as a number about crows and another about bicycles. They are bouncy tunes that make you smile, but her hardcore ballads are written from the heart. She sings about such heavy topics as the poor living on the streets of Vancouver, a rich city, and that brings out the passionate side of the singer. Her interpretation of a Bruce Springsteen number also went down well as she put her own spin on it. Her partner in crime on this tour is Tim Tweedale who plays steel slide guitar and trumpet. He is obviously an accomplished musician and singer in his own right but he never overshadows Sarah, always complimenting her songs in a laidback style that he he says is typically Canadian. For me the song of the night was called Cold Night. This should be the single. The song grabbed us by the throat and held us spellbound by its luminescence and beauty. Sarah creates a good rapport with the crowd, even getting them to join in some incredibly silly sing-a-longs or rather wobble-alongs. As an artist she is creative and innovative and as a musician she is talented but as a singer she is stunning. She has a voice that soars from the warm depths to the crystal heights in the wink of an eye. All together a mellow evening. Sarah is one to watch. - Flicky Harrison