At some point in the near-future, we’re going to look back at the trends of 2008 with a sort of sentimental mix of contempt and loving nostalgia. It’s the same feeling we get currently when someone plays Bullet on Butterfly Wings or Kriss Kross at a house party. We’ll remember how we all scavenged op-shops only to wear $300 ksubi jeans, Vampire Weekend were our favourite band, and that song by that angry French girl was the greatest sing along we could hope for.

My friend phrased it best: – œPre-Retro-Retro.’ And inside a very sold-out Oxford Art Factory, it was all on clear display. It started with another “noughties” trend for support: the multi-instrumental indie-pop group. Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers, namely. They arguably weren’t that bad, despite not being at the top of their game. As poppy as their songs were, vocalist Richie Cuthbert appeared uncomfortable at times. The rest of the seven-piece seemed to follow suit. Admittedly, he did dedicate a song about nervousness to the fact he was drunk on stage with his mother in the audience.

As the night grew longer, the curtains reopened to a stage set up with incense burning, a cat lamp, and a few instruments scattered amongst it all. Soko’s arrival nearly went unnoticed – she was still tuning a guitar upstage when applause drew her attention to the crowd. She grabbed her sky blue electric guitar and started with a lullaby, See You Later Alligator.

From this moment on, all who were in attendance were not at a – œgig’. It felt like this small French girl (real name Stephanie Sokolinski ) wasn’t that angry at all, but rather had invited us all back to her place for some songs she wrote and a few laughs. As she traded instruments with her backing band, searched her moleskine for song lyrics and bopped around like she was too young to even be admitted into the venue, a loving atmosphere flowed off stage. Lacking a set-list, she simply played requests from the crowd. She slipped in favourites, sing-alongs and other little surprises, creating a set that rivalled some big-name acts in length.

Whilst Soko was primarily spontaneous and fun, she also knew how to exercise subtlety to perfection. She was left alone onstage and within seconds of uttering, “So, of course, you were supposed to call me tonight,” the crowd was silent for her solitary hit, I’ll Kill Her. Audience joining in only during the chorus, it was a moment unlike any other: the crowd weren’t singing along with her music, they were singing along with her, like the friend who never forgets the guitar to gatherings.

With midnight in sight, she left with I’ll Never Love You More, a song full of the pop culture references that make our eternally nostalgic society. She may well be a fad, her songs soon left only to be the indie kid’s number one choice at karaoke bars. But Soko’s appears oblivious to all that, happy enough just laughing and singing in the meantime. And it wouldn’t be better any other way.