The Audreys, Timothy Carroll @The Troubadour, Brisbane(28/05/2010)

Tue 1st Jun, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Even for a sold out show the Troubadour is chockers. Timothy Carroll, bum planted on a stool, is serenading the comfortably seated forward two-thirds of the room, while the rest crane their necks to spy the source of this lovely vocal. Carroll has an apparent shyness on stage between songs, and although he does have a nervous fidget in his positioning you’d never know it in his voice. Clear, smooth and strong all-the-while being absolutely tender.

The local singer-songwriter sparsely strums and chops at his effectively muted guitar strings and tells tales of love, loss and heartbreak all set to the back-drop of the Brisbane city skyline. One tune turns to song the thoughts (at one time or another) and feelings felt by everyone in the room, in a powerfully heart wrenching story about relationship break-up aftermath. Watching feels like seeing a young Glen Richards (Augie March frontman) before whatever it was that jaded him beyond approachability. Carroll has a serious talent for song writing and is just as blessed vocally.

Relaxing from tippy-toes, the bar-end of the venue comes back to life. But not for long. The Audreys’ striking songstress Taasha Coates soon graces the stage. Dressed in typical Audreys-vintage style Marolyn Monroe’s I Wanna Be Loved By You demands all eyes and ears with seductive simplicity. Tonight The Audreys are just two. Sensing the frustration of those trapped to the rear the seated crowd is requested to stand. Guitarist Tristan Goodall slings on his banjo and begins to pluck. Regardless of the lack of manpower You and Steve McQueen from the band’s first album Between Last Night And Us sounds incredible. Coates’ voice is impeccable and (dare I say it) better in a live setting than on record. During Take Me To The Poor House Goodall’s blues-throb guitar accompaniment sets a raunchy, sweaty scene and leads to a gritty, distorted bridge giving an insatiable dirty soul swagger.

Taking things back some notches we’re reminded just how intimate this show is with a bridging of The Audreys past and present; the introspective slow waltz of Monster from the band’s debut record is piggy backed by Monster II, a track, we’re informed, expected to inhabit the currently unreleased third album. Next is the promiscuous and sassy Lay Me Down and a display of Coates at her most gloriously country during a cover of Justin Townes-Earl’s Mamma’s Eyes. Apart from the early slotted ode to a movie star, the evening’s cream is definitely the same as on record. Banjo and Violin is ultra sexy and unfortunately for them, INXS’ Don’t Change receives the night’s loudest response. Oh Honey is another saucy highlight.

Over the years The Audreys have time and again reinforced themselves as one of , if not, the premier folk, blues and roots group in the country. Tonight was a wonderful, stripped back display of that talent. With the two absent band members rumoured to be staying absent, it will be interesting to hear the results of album three. Whether a changed sound is present or not, based on the foundation’s display tonight, it is again going to be top quality.