The Audreys, Wilson Pickers @The Northcote Social Club,Melbourne (27/11/2008)

Thu 4th Dec, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Always a popular hang-out for its irrepressibly cool northern clientele, in recent years the Northcote Social Club has become a beacon for live gems both obscure and well known, local and from across wide stretches of grass and plain; and those in the know come in their droves to witness said acts. Tonight we had the pleasure of Adelaide indie folksters The Audreys, who promised to charm a sold-out crowd with their unique brand of stylish, sensual blues.

The Wilson Pickers brought the ho-down to the stage with their five-bloke, all strings line-up – while occasionally the persistent faux-American accents got annoying, one couldn’t help feeling the urge to take your partner by the hand and do some kind of a thigh-slappin’, hip-swingin’ country-inspired boot-scooting dance. Yessir, those tales of love lost and dusty country roads could be mighty intoxicating: if only we felt like it was about our own wide brown land. Still, there’s something there if this city chick with a hatred of country music burning in her soul could be made to stay in the room for the whole set. Curious.

The room was cooking with a palpable sense of anticipation (and carbon dioxide) by the time Adelaide five-some The Audreys hit the stage. The cool, rich chocolate voice of singer Taasha Coates brought the room down to a slow burn, artfully counterbalanced by the rough-around-the-edges blues of guitarist Tristan Goodall and sparse rhythm section. It was all getting pretty sexy by the time the band hit Paradise City from their recent release, And the Flood Comes – all eyes on Ms. Coates, who projected a stylish, emotive presence that can only be described as – œVery French.’ Her hands tend to dance in front of her closed eyes, in place of a lit cigarette and false eyelashes – it was all rather noir film at this packed Audreys show. The audience often felt swept away to the world behind Ms. Coates eyelids by her painterly lyrical strokes, augmented by the plaintive tones of violin and double bass. Their music sits somewhere between mournful and soulful, with a liberal splashing of the earworm syndrome – it’s no wonder their music has already been picked up by two TV shows – the theme to one of which they played, Small Things, making it onto, as Coates says, – œa cheesy funeral scene’.

Proving they also have the ability to funk it up a bit, Mr. Goodall kicks out the blues train on a couple of tracks, allowing the grungier side of Taasha’s vocals to come to the fore. Suddenly I feel like a good shot of whisky on the rocks and a groove – or would if I could move any. The NSC is a room built for sitting down or suffocation. Taking the air for a bit, I’m lulled back irresistibly by that voice, all caramel and the classic, Oh Honey, sung with an aching honesty. It’s the sign of a great band when they sound good all over the room – even squeezed stage left between a sweaty dude and the wall. The Audreys fulfil this criteria – and their combination of quality blues and hard touring chops will take them far in this country, and beyond. We wish them luck.