It’s Nightwoods before Sabrina Lawrie, and all through the house, funky creatures were stirring, The Zoo filling out (18 January).
The Brisbane five-piece, neo-psychedelic outfit Nightwoods have a smooth, polished soundscape that’s still comforting for conservative palettes and super tight for music appreciators.
You’d be forgiven if your eyes glazed over thinking you’re looking at Shania Twain duet with Stu Larsen for a moment, with the quality of their act and the sound that’s swirling around, but zoning back in you recognise their originality.
“Wind your windows down, I’m a silhouette now”… the three-part harmonies starting the song brought me to my feet.
The husband and wife front-people have voices cut from (or woven into) the same ribbon of candy – sweet, liquid and so easily absorbed. Then the drummer’s voice just slides in like the perfectly textured strawberry part of a Campino. #winning
Then Sabrina’s masterclass in ‘how to open your mouth for smooth delivery while maintaining chunky riffs’ begins.
You can tell the band have worked hard at getting the tracks right – it’s a mostly new line-up after Sabrina changed musical direction for the new release, tonight launching her new single ‘Nopiates’.
Straight out of the gate is ‘High Time To Fly’, the vocal sustain an impressive challenge while also holding together the gently chugging-along riff.
A little more dirty brand of blues is rolled out for ‘Little Red House’, with the gripping phrasing of the hook: “I’d rather that nobody know. I’d rather that I didn’t talk about it. I’d rather that nobody know, but somebody knows, somebody had their eye on you.”
The tribal beat of ‘Become’ begins and the tutorial of vocal tone from tonight’s queen of centre stage continues as though it came from 'The Lion King' soundtrack: with tambourine, gum-nuts and chanting. “Who broke the light…”
There’s a more intense energy to the live performance of the single ‘Nopiates’ that wasn’t quite in the recording. On the stage you can see, hear and feel the passion of her reality when she performs this elegy to opiate addiction.
“I don’t know what you’re on,” says Ben Kerswell (rhythm guitar) to the crowd. “But I’m on pigtails.”
Impressively, almost all of the guitars used by both Sabrina and Ben were made by Scott 'Spoon' McDonagh (bass/ keys). Drawings by Sabrina’s son also decorated the stage, while live art was being created beside the stage via the medium of Melbourne-based artist Pauline Welsh.
It was a feast for all the senses, the sound was amazing as usual at The Zoo, and sensible messages for feeling people, with the Stop Adani crew in attendance who also performed a song.
Sabrina Lawrie plays The Gasometer in Melbourne 31 January supporting Blair Jollands (NZ) alongside Luke Yeoward.
