OFTEN seen as the poor man’s Blunt, James Morrison eclipsed the older, posher singer-strummer-songwriter when he appeared from nowhere at the 2007 Summer Pops with the newly released Undiscovered.

He’d all but faded to the hinterland of break-up compilations and Smooth FM when he hitched his star to Nelly Furtado’s with Broken Strings last Christmas.

Would his return to the Pops prove he was more than a one album wonder?

He burst on stage with The Only Night, tearing off that Morrison mantle of blandness right away with the sheer, sweat-dripping, intensity of his act.

Without allowing frenetic momentum slip for a second he plunged into the urgent, bluesy Whatever I do, leaping about the stage, ripping at his guitar and kneeling on stage. Then it was onto his career-making Undiscovered. Though the arena was just about full his concert had an intimate almost clubby ambience. No flying, no videos, just a smokey stage and blue-tinged lights. The audience – all ages with a substantial teenage quota of adoring teens – seemed to feel it too, dancing and even trying to talk to him, according to Morrison.

Broken Strings was performed with a backing singer and though it earned him screams, lacked the passion of his duet with Furtado. The pace slackened slightly then, with Love Is Hard and Once When I Was Little and songs started to merge a little – this one heavier on the funky organ, that one on the electric guitar. They sounded a little too American.

But it’s tricky to find different styles of songs to suit that bourbon and 40-a-day voice that sounds like it’s been taken to hell and back,

However it was never less than a pleasure to listen to that incredible, soaring, smoky voice. Albums and radio just don’t do it justice. The soulful If You Don’t Wanna Love Me, his most Otis-alike song, was the most powerful song of the one hour set.

It had everyone’s feet thumping and was genuinely moving.

The pace cracked off again with the popular You Give Me Something which had the arena singing. Even the dragged along husbands and boyfriends loosened their folded arms and swayed a little next to their chanting partners.

He closed with a song he called ‘a little bit special’, and one he’d only played once in the last two years. Man In The Mirror was a well-timed and note perfect tribute to Michael Jackson and it went down a storm.

Then came the heart-tugging Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore, which everyone was waiting for and which didn’t disappoint. It was a polished, impressive return to the Pops for the 24-year-old who last time played for £50 supporting Corinne Bailey Rae. And from the reception from the crowd it’s bound to be far from his last.