Live Review: Kate Miller-Heidke, Sweet Jean

Sweet Jean, a folk duo from Melbourne, ushered the crowd into what would be a muted evening of pleasure. Parachutes, a simple but heartfelt ballad which featured Alice Keath on autoharp, hit just the right balance of sweetness and darkness to create something pretty mesmerising, while closer Shiver And Shake captured some of the Fleet Foxes lusciousness that a few songs had been missing. With Keath on electric guitar for the first and only time, this tune had a satisfying fullness and tonal complexity.

Kate Miller-Heidke celebrates the launch of her fourth album with this tour, and it was something of a surprise to see the usual densely layered pop stripped away for the evening, as the Brisbane singer-songwriter was accompanied by an 'unplugged' backing. In spite of the toned-down production, the set never felt empty or lacking. The acoustic format suited her ballads best, and while songs like Last Day On Earth stuck out at a past show at the sticky-floored Annandale Hotel, the intimacy of the Seymour Centre's theatre led to a real connection with the crowd. Even the ultra-emotional, cards on the table Caught In The Crowd shook off any allegations of schmaltz.

The set balanced these moments of intimacy with what felt like a series of experiments. Some were (hit and miss) attempts to recapture the glory of the full-band versions: break-out hit Words presented an extremely effective example of this, with Keir Nuttall busting out a terrific acoustic guitar solo, while Can't Shake It is pretty silly and unsubstantial no matter which way you slice it. Along with these were attempts at creating something special within the confines of the acoustic show, and these were easily the set's highlights. One song had Nuttall take lead vocals as his alter-ego Franky Walnut for a hilarious dedication of love, while the band's flamenco-guitar-fueled cover of Beyoncé's Run The World (Girls) was spot-on. While the set had a few rough moments, each one was soon forgotten with the advent of some new delight, and it was Miller-Heidke's terrific and unique voice that bound it all together.