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Rumer: St James's Church, London

Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 May 2012

"I SPOKE TO PF SLOAN himself on the phone the other night, and he said, 'I'm praying for you.'" It's three songs into Rumer's set, and the audience titter uncertainly. Who is PF Sloan? Does Rumer warrant prayer? The answer to the first: he's a revered American songwriter who is the subject of one of tonight's songs. As for the second, only Rumer can say. Since the surprise success of her 2010 debut, Seasons of My Soul, she has been hailed as a progenitor of a credible new wave of MOR, winning awards and playing the White House. But she was also diagnosed as bipolar and recently told the Guardian: "I'm trying very hard not to be depressed, even though I am."

Total word count of piece: 344

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