Kate Daisy Grant with Nick Pynn

As the first part of a double bill of sorts, with both artists taking it in turns to play backing musician to the other’s songs in back-to-back sets, Kate Daisy Grant’s catchy pop is the more straightforward half compared to Nick Pynn’s mesmerising avant-folk. That’s not to say, however, that there’s anything routine about this singer-songwriter’s material, as her simple, accessible melodies are set against wonderfully inventive arrangements making use of toy pianos, brightly coloured miniature bells, Pynn’s theremin, violin, guitar and at one point, a set of wine glasses used to surprising effect, alongside Grant’s strong and emotive voice.

Managing to make an intimate setting that exudes warmth from a rather plain room in a language school in the West End, the set looks impressive on arrival, with an array of acoustic instruments and novel percussion devices packed into the small space. Grant is a cheery and winning personality on stage, whilst Pynn is a masterful backing player, adding colour and mood to Grant’s largely piano-led songs. Grant is at her best when in upbeat pop mode, with Pynn decorating the tunes with his excellent violin work, achieving a sound that seems larger than the sum of its parts.

With comedy and theatre taking centre stage at the Fringe, musicians are often forgotten amidst the frantic promotion and fevered hype surrounding the major venues, this is a show that encapsulates what the Fringe should be all about, and it deserves an audience as much as anything happening this August.