Why is it that artists who loop sounds and effects to create music are so spell binding? It’s probably to do with being able to watch the building process of a song that captures your attention. It certainly was the case for Pikelet (or Evelyn Morris as she’s known at home). The Melbourne singer/songwriter had everyone at the Toff In Town in the palm of her hand as she played through a fantastic set of songs.

Using a whole range of instruments from an acoustic guitar, tambourine, tom drum, keys/synth and a xylophone and creating sounds by hitting the microphone, clapping, singing singular notes and then looping them or distorting them with effects pedals, Pikelet was able to craft a plethora of sounds into some truly fantastic songs. With quirky lyrics such as “we’ll make sandcastles out of pillows” and “wake, sleep, eat, excrete” Pikelet’s songs cause the listener to envision futuristic bleak landscapes to – œ90s video game where you could well imagine Mario running around and the epic final track that had Pikelet singing “To all those who I love so dear / Thank you for surviving this far and making it here”.

Though maybe being a tad under-prepared (“has anyone got the time?... Whoa I have ages! – What’ll I do?”) Pikelet’s songs generated a rapid silence from the audience and her charming, nerdish demeanour easily won most over.

With the Toff pretty much at capacity, Sarah Assbring’s musical project – El Perro Del Mar (literally The Dog From The Sea) walked onto the basically bare stage. Opening with Let Me In, Assbring’s flailing, slow motion running dancing was accompanied by a pre-recorded backing track and a guitarist (who played a twin necked guitar (a twelve string up top and a six string underneath).

Looking like she was wrestling inner demons in Gotta Get Smart, Assbring’s vocals really soared on the song about breaking up, whilst Coming Down The Hill was a repetitive, westernish song that complimented her airy falsetto nicely. A special guest in one Jens Lekman joined EPDM on stage for the next song Change of Heart which saw Lekman holding onto a sheet of lyrics as he accompanied Assbring in the strong, jangly track.

A Better Love contained one of the best lyrics of the night (“This isn’t over – œtil I say when. When”) and the sadness of the song was juxtaposed by Assbring’s strange dancing and also saw Lekman pop back on stage for backing vocal duties. The ghost-like Someday I Will Understand (Love Will Be My Mirror) followed with the lighting along with Assbring’s heavy eye makeup giving her the appearance of the dead. Her fragile vocals really getting the time to shine.

The piano based Heavenly Arms was next along with a cover of the Isely Bros/Aaliyah song At Your Best (You Are Love) where the guitarist seemed to use a screwdriver as a slide creating some extremely eerie effects. It Is Something (To Have Wept) produced possibly the weirdest lyric of the night (“it is something to have smelt the mystic rose”).

The highlight of the night however was an absolutely beautiful duet between Assbring and Lekman sung in a mixture of Swedish and English. Accompanied on acoustic guitar the song produced absolute silence from the audience and was a positive show stopper.

Disappearing for a minute before returning for an encore, Assbring took to the stage solo, explaining how she was sick and that the audience would have to “help if my voice fails”. Her breathy, fragile vocals really shone in the two final acoustic songs with the ghostly Party finishing the night. Whilst obviously crafting some excellent songs, the use of the backing track really seemed to be jarring in the live show, with the acoustic songs in the latter half of the set along with Assbring’s beautiful, honest lyrics being the clear stand outs.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE