Photo: justin Edwards

Known to many as the smiling face that greets you at the top of the stairs of this venue, Timothy Carroll is seated tonight at the opposite end of the room, clutching a steel string acoustic guitar while basking in a warming spotlight as he prepares to perform. Carroll’s demeanour is relaxed with a slight ocker charm, similar to his smooth folky musings that are quickly attracting the attention of the growing crowd. On matters relating to the crowd, it’s a mishmash bunch of ages and demographics – indicative of the main act’s diverse appeal – from those who look at The Troubadour as a second home to a slightly older set who seem slightly ill at ease and out of their comfort zone. Never fear, pay attention to the dulcet tones of Timothy Carroll and feel the anxiety drip away like rain falling off the roof.

There aren’t too many that can pull off ‘sultry’ in a suburban Adelaide accent, but Taasha Coats’ rendition of I Wanna Be Loved By You (a Marilyn Monroe classic and Audreys setlist mainstay) was worthy of a few wolf whistles. Touring with her longtime song writing partner Tristan Goodall as the appropriate if not unimaginatively titled Taasha & Tristan, tonight’s set is a chance to strip back their well-known rootsy sound even further with favourites and sneak peeks from their third album. These peeks suggest a further evolution – or devolution, depending on where you stand – towards a bouncy indie pop sound that the crowd are very eager to hear more of. In the meantime, they’ll have to settle for standards like You & Steve McQueen, Don’t Change and Lay Me Down, all delivered with soul and cheeky interplay between the two musicians. It’s a rare chance to witness the creative chemistry between these two prolific artists, displaying both their more flamboyant and introverted elements out for this rare show. Bring on album number three.

MITCH ALEXANDER

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