PHOTO: FASTERLOUDER

Without his usual backing band tonight, Ohad Rein’s Old Man River songs were carried by only himself and a loop pedal. Opening with Sunshine, on which he accompanied himself with the acoustic guitar as percussion, the ensuing performance was quietly charming in its modesty, and the man himself displayed an endearingly self-effacing humour in between tunes. Highlights included the insertion of a spoken word Kerouac recording in one of the songs, a sweet call and response section in Religion and a stripped down cover of The Flaming Lips’ Do You Realize?? Though some of Old Man River’s songs are slightly pedestrian, Rein’s sheer likeability made his performance convincing and enjoyable.

The spirited fingerpicked opening of I Won’t Be Found began The Tallest Man On Earth’s set, utterly entrancing from start to finish. Often called this generation’s Dylan (and that’s not an overstatement), Kristian Mattson writes brilliant songs that are stylistically simple, but arresting in their stark honesty and intimacy. His voice tonight rang loud and clear, with less of an obvious twang than its recorded self, and the sold out room fell silent throughout to drink in every nuance. Changing between electric and acoustic guitars, Mattson casually admitted that many of his songs were “fucked up” – the haunting Where Do My Bluebirds Fly was one such song, in which his emotionally strained voice, over the sombre minor key plucking, was heartbreaking.

Mattson’s songs do not change much live, but they don’t need to – they possess such an enchanting closeness recorded that when they come to life before your eyes, it’s like greeting an old friend who you understand every part of. He took to the keyboard briefly, sang gently in unison with the guitar on Love Is All and soared spectacularly on The Dreamer, one of the more hopeful and uplifting songs he’s penned that was even more powerful on stage. King Of Spain was one of the evening’s sing-along moments, and during the encore the amicable Swede bantered playfully with an audience member who was adamant to hear Into The Stream. She got her wish with a beautiful rendition, before Mattson closed with a cover of Nico’s These Days.

Music like this needs no bells and whistles to be utterly captivating – it’s deeply emotional and simply true, which is all that music should be.

Originally published in The Drum Media

I have NO WORDS.

The first time I saw local lads Sierra Fin, in a support slot for Final Fantasy back in 2008, I was really underwhelmed – at the time they played mild mid-tempo indie pop that had nothing differentiating it from the next band, with a performance that was pretty unmemorable too. It seems that since then the boys have done some soul-searching and re-emerged as one of the most exciting support bands in recent memory. They’ve added a member (Kent Eastwood – accordion/guitar – playing his first gig with them tonight) and also just wrapped up the recording of their debut album, The Cautionary Tale of the Beautiful Blackout, a concept album centred on orchestral arrangements. The addition of Eastwood’s accordion adds a new dynamic to the songs, which are still in the general area of indie-pop but are now more lush and focused, with some cuts adopting a darker edge. The highlight of the set was ‘Bluebird Song’, in which singer Russ Tainton strummed a ukelele as he and his bandmates harmonised before throwing the tune over to the audience, all too glad to oblige in a singalong as Tainton jumped off the stage and wandered through the crowd. The orchestral parts of the songs were filled out via computer, swelling to enormity as the band showcased never-before-heard songs from the upcoming record. Their first show since finishing the album, tonight’s set proved that this band will no doubt become a staple in Sydney’s live scene – a fantastic return.

Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit has been a favourite on Australian shores this year, playing at Laneway in February and back again a mere six months later. Adoring fans were all too eager to express their enthusiasm, with singalongs breaking out left, right and centre and a quiet awe emanating around the venue throughout the evening. Playing mostly from this year’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the band opened with ‘Skip The Youth’ and the charisma of frontman Scott Hutchison was immediately detected – he stopped throughout the evening to make jokes, often at his own expense and always to the delight of the crowd. The often abrasive rhythm section contrasted nicely with Hutchison’s gentle, lilting guitar tones, at times complemented also acoustically.

Beautiful kaleidoscopic lights swirled as the performance progressed, with the backing vocals of Hutchison’s four bandmates airtight and atmospheric, especially on the wonderful ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’. None of Frightened Rabbit’s performance relied on gimmicks – the music itself was extremely focused and driven forth by incredible joy, both on and off stage. The very grateful Hutchison encored with a solo ‘Poke’ before the band returned to the stage, culminating in an extended jam after Hutchison walked off after closer ‘Keep Yourself Warm’. After witnessing their live show, there’s no questioning why this band has received praise worldwide – Frightened Rabbit achieved the perfect mix of musical passion and enjoyment for both performers and spectators.

Set:
Skip The Youth
The Modern Leper
Nothing Like You
The Loneliness And The Scream
The Twist
The Wrestle
Footshooter
My Backwards Walk
Head Rolls Off
Old Old Fashioned
Swim Until You Can’t See Land
Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms
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Poke
Living In Colour
Keep Yourself Warm