Live Review: Machine Translations, Ernest Ellis

Ernest Ellis and Machine Translations played a neat double header at one of Sydney's best tiny venues on Friday, Brighton Up Bar. It was a rainy night leading up to Mardi Gras, and the mood in the city was cautiously optimistic. New licensing laws were being rolled out covering key precincts, and that along with the weather tempered the mood on the street. It was the perfect backdrop for a show that combined the sombre arrangements of J Walker and the warmer pop balladry of Ernest Ellis and co.

Machine Translations' sound isn't usually as sparse as Friday's set, but with the drummer knocked for six by illness we were left with a stripped-down set that felt heavier than usual. J Walker sounded despondent and lonely, and the majority of his set was made up of angular, complicated songs that struggled to elicit real pathos. There were a few poignant songs littered throughout the set, but they felt like tiny buoys in a murky harbour. He was accompanied by the very talented Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Robin Waters who added some vaporous guitar work that gave the set some extra depth.

Ernest Ellis on the other hand weren't wasting any time trying to wrench our hearts out of our chests. His voice is eerily reminiscent of Nick Cave in the low registers, down to the cadence and timbre, but he has no problem pushing out some dramatic notes at the top end, broadcasting a sing-from-the-rooftop-style earnestness that felt a little contrived but still earned an easy smile. It also sounded like Matt Corby a lot. Their pop ballads were derivative, but felt big when played in such a small venue.