Live Review: Safia

People were instructed to stand up to fit into the sold-out Newtown Social Club as the curtain was drawn and Safia took the stage.

Spirit Faces are an interesting group. The nondescript trio took the stage before a small seated crowd and proceeded to intrigue us with their style of dreamy synth pop. The short and sweet set, taken from their Bedroom Music EP, had the ability to turn from glistening pop to minor chord disturbance in a heartbeat. Guest vocals from Lisa Mitchell and others were a nice surprise addition to an impressive start to the night.

It’s been a little over a year since East burst into the spotlight via a triple j-supported song, Old Age. Still not of either old age or drinking age, this young woman continues to impress with a mature set of songs. Her work on a solo guitar track showed off her confidence whilst a rousing rendition of Childish Gambino’s Sober won the crowd over. Ultimately, this prodigious talent, one year on from her debut gig, appears to be just warming up.

People were instructed to stand up to fit into the sold-out Newtown Social Club as the curtain was drawn and Safia took the stage. This Canberra-based band has exploded in the two years since being selected to play Groovin’ the Moo in 2013. Tonight they gave the young, very excited crowd exactly what they were after with a tight and breezy set that included all the songs that have seen them support acts like Disclosure and Rudimental. They go from airy dream-pop to balls-out banger in seconds, deftly exhibiting the writing talents of lead singer, Ben Woolner.

They gave us a taste of three new songs that we can look forward to on a promised upcoming album, but tonight was about the release of Counting Sheep, a hauntingly beautiful track that pushes this band higher into the musical spectrum.