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 Photo: Justin Ma
Sydney’s Boy & Bear blend ‘70s-style folk rock with alt-country twang and just a hint of heartbreak, with a sound at times reminiscent of groups like Fleet Foxes. Their opening set tonight is very strong, with driving percussion, banjo and plaintive background ohh whoa ohhs, with Dave Hosking’s fragile tenor voice in the middle of it all. Singles like The Storm and Mexican Mavis have already earned Boy & Bear recognition on Triple J, and based on tonight’s performance, they’re definitely a band to watch.
Headliner Laura Marling is slight and softly-spoken on stage, but the young folkie’s powerful singing voice lends her an otherworldly appeal that seems well beyond her 19 years. She opens the set with the churning, minor-key Devil’s Spoke, the first of several new tracks we’ll hear tonight, but doesn’t waste much time before treating the audience to something familiar. Ghosts comes out second – it’s Marling’s best-known track, and easily a highlight of tonight’s set, with the backing band providing skilful banjo and piano accompaniment, and singing along in spine-tingling harmony on the chorus. The Zoo is a stuffy venue at the best of times, and at one point, the summer heat proves to be a little too much for Marling – halfway through Failure, she stops, looking puzzled, and admits that she’s completely forgotten her place in the song. With some encouraging handclaps from the audience, she manages to finish up, and the song gets the biggest applause of the night. After bringing the house down once again with My Manic And I, Marling explains that she feels absurd playing encores, and will therefore do hers without leaving the stage. The set closes with a gorgeous rendition of Alas I Cannot Swim, starting off gently and building to a noisy, reeling celebration. Already an accomplished performer, Marling has a long career ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see her grow and mature as an artist.
ALASDAIR DUNCAN
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