Live Review: Julia Jacklin, Golden String

There were laid-back, intimate vibes at Rosemount Hotel for the Perth leg of Julia Jacklin's national tour. Set inside the narrow performance space, it was a minor task for Jacklin and her motley crew of a support band to weave their way through the crowd and make their way on to the stage.

Golden String allowed for some smooth beats to emanate into the crowd, providing some sweet lo-fi vibes from the stage. The group aced it, combining elements of lilting vocals, rich harmonies and pervasive pianos, enticing the crowd to kick back and relax to their music. With rich vocals reminiscent of London Grammar and an ethereal humour expertly attached, it was a pleasing intro set to help usher the evocative songs of the night's headliner.

During set up, Julia Jacklin would run between the bar and the stage, mildly amping the crowd with some low-key hype (many of the punters being long-time fans of the artist). With the band fully set up, Jacklin threw herself straight into it.

Her set was a lucid mixture of brooding folk and electrically charged rockabilly. Starting off with crowd favourite, Leadlight, Jacklin quickly had it in the bag as she warmed the crowd up with her articulate vocal range and piercing guitar arpeggios.

After recounting an anecdote involving being a support act for Marlon Williams at the Rosemount and sitting in the car park afterwards feeling drunk and generally bad, it was safe to say this gig was definitely a rebound for Jacklin, nailing every melody and harmony with sheer perfection.

It was easy to get lost amidst Jacklin's teasingly self-referential lyrics, with final track Don't Let The Kids Win in particular hitting an emotional note with the crowd. Some of the post-gig punters exclaimed the track made them think of family members - a demonstration of the nuanced gravitas that Jacklin's vocals so easily evoke.

Thanking the crowd for coming along, Jacklin finished the gig as gently and easily as she started, soothing the crowd with an emotional and heady weight that could not be shaken. Jacklin certainly left her mark on the Perth crowd. It was a night of enjoyable music tinged with a hint of emotional self-reflection - a talent of Jacklin's own, unique making.