Live Review: Jose Gonzalez

There is something incredibly special about seeing Jose Gonzalez perform as a solo artist, armed only with his voice and guitar. On Saturday, the Concert Hall was privy to this particular experience and was engrossed from start to finish by the mesmerising intimacy of the Swedish-Argentinian's performance, as he gently sang, plucked and strummed away.

Gonzalez began the night with With The Ink Of A Ghost, a peacefully haunting account of the beauty around him as he walks through nature and the opener on his most recent solo album, 2015's Vestiges & Claws. This reflection on nature is a continual narrative throughout Vestiges & Claws, and Gonzalez revisits it later in his set during The Forest, accompanied by his sole collaborator of the night, a single flautist.

The beginning of Gonzalez's set featured a number of mellow tunes from his first album Veneer, including Lovestain and Stay In The Shade, before the tempo was heightened for Down The Line, impressively intensified live. Gonzalez also played Far Away, originally written for the video game Red Dead Redemption. It's a collaboration that makes more sense when listening to Gonzalez describe the stories behind some of his songs, a lot of which involve doomsday scenarios, zombies and the impermanence of humanity. The juxtaposition of these stories with Gonzalez's humble stage presence and hypnotic guitar work works perfectly to create beautiful but at times unsettling pieces of music.

There was a healthy amount of Gonzalez's setlist dedicated to covers, something he has become well-known for since his successful cover of The Knife's Heartbeats back in 2003. The crowd were treated to this beautiful track in the night's first encore, along with a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop and Gonzalez original, Crosses. The crowd was also treated to Gonzalez's heartbreaking cover of Kylie Minogue's Hand On Your Heart, a work of true magic when considering the pop-drenched, dated original. Despite all this it was Gonzalez's simple cover of The Beatles' Blackbird that was the icing on the cake for the night, epitomising his masterful ability to put his own earnest mark on these celebrated tracks.

With stage lighting consisting of a spotlight and the simple, glowing outline of a mountain behind him, this live show was all about Gonzalez's skills as a vocalist and guitarist. As a solo performer Gonzalez shines, his elaborate string arrangements and distinctive vocals creating a truly unforgettable show.