Bo Bruce at Neil McCormick's Moxafrica Fundraiser - Wednesday 6th March, 2013 - Islington Assembely Rooms, London

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Bo Bruce is someone I've written about a lot on here, but for those of you who don't know, she came in second place on The Voice UK last year. Since, she's broken away from the path of a typical reality TV show runner-up, signing to Mercury and working with the likes of Snow Patrol, Joel Pott and Danny O'Donoghue on new album "Before I Sleep".

This week, I went to London to see her perform at Moxafrica, a fundraiser gig for tuberculosis cures, held by the Telegraph's music critic Neil McCormick. She played alongside acts such as David Gray, The Magic Numbers, and Gabriella Cilmi.

Bo's performance followed those by country band Buckshot Soup and one from McCormick himself, her drifting onto the stage, adorned with trademark bangles and rings. She opened with "Save Me", and the upcoming first single from her new album. It's a heartbreak song, tonight's acoustic performance giving more focus on her voice, soaring falsetto notes, it glitters with Sinead O'Connor-esque lilts and glottal strokes.

Viewers of The Voice UK will remember Bo for her cover of Coldplay's "Charlie Brown", that iconic moment of her twirling in a white dress, in a television studio lit up with the colours of the rainbow, "Glowing in the dark". The original arrangement is colourful and explosive, echoing the tones of "Mylo Xyloto", all keyboards and bouncing reverb. But tonight's rendition was just a piano and acoustic guitar, softer, whispers of what it was. A song like this, about being high, and feeling liberated, produced with layers of sonic joy and lyrics of heartfelt desperation can spin off into so many different directions, and the hint of sorrow gives it another kind of beauty.

"The Fall" is about losing someone, something huge and life changing that will weave its way through the undertones of meaning and honesty in every song on "Before I Sleep". But it means to you what it will: a song about loss, and ultimately survival. I've been lucky enough to witness two performances of this song now: once in a small venue, intimate and full of fans, once in a hall of unknowing strangers who'd come out to raise money for tuberculosis by buying expensive drinks. The effect of stunned silence has been almost the same each time.

The Coronas Danny O'Reilly, and violinist Gita Langley (who recently played with Muse, opening the BRIT Awards) were welcomed to the stage for the final song, "Speed the Fire", another from the album. It's lyrics are nostalgic and hold the bittersweet imagery of everything going up in flames.

"Before I Sleep" is due out on April 29th, avaliable to preorder here.

* Image belonging to Lisa