Chad Valley at the Mercury Lounge

Hugo Manuel is the vocalist of the British group Jonquil, but also performs as a solo artist under the name Chad Valley. At the Mercury Lounge tonight, he sang dreamy, soulful electro-pop songs, as he played a keyboard and synthesizers, while accompanied by another musician playing synthesized beats and a backup singer. Unlike many EDM (electronic dance music) and synth-pop artists, however, the accent was not on what kind of sounds could be generated or what kind of response it would get on a dance floor. It was about the songs. Manuel is a rhythm and blues singer, and the songs were built on that. Rather than letting the musicianship overshadow the singer or the songs, the singing was front and center, backed by woozy, ambient music. Some may call his music chillwave.