Live Review: Montaigne, I Know Leopard

The sold-out crowd gives a lukewarm welcome to Sydneysiders I Know Leopard, with too many choosing to chat loudly over the band's blissful dream-pop. Perfect Picture and Jenny McCullagh's enchanting violin hook quickly has the front half of the crowd swaying in time, before the quartet deviate into a tastefully chaotic outro led by the overdriven tones of statuesque guitarist Todd Andrews. 

The boppy rhythms and delightful female harmonies in Let Go finally distract most from their conversations, while an unreleased track showcases the impressive vocal range of Luke O'Loughlin alongside some cute and melodramatic moves. A crunchy guitar solo in Close My Eyes still fails to excite Andrews, but that doesn't stop the rest of the band - or the crowd - dancing along to the quirky, bustling soundscape and frank lyricism of closer Rather Be Lonely.

The lights seem to darken for only a second before the petite figure of Montaigne bursts onstage in a flurry of hip wiggles, ballerina-esque twirls, and plenty of waving to the adoring crowd. The '80s neon-pop vibes of Greater Than Me evoke plenty of dancing, as the Sydney singer inventively charades her lyrics between high-pitched vocal runs.

The title track of Montaigne's acclaimed debut album Glorious Heights is a triumphant performance of power-pop, with the marching beat seemingly spurring this performer to continually raise her energy levels as she builds into an amazing falsetto crescendo. After "mutating" the crowd into two choirs, Montaigne conducts The Triffid through a workshopped rendition of Lonely, although she has to take back the vocal reins when her makeshift back-up singers become lost in the fast-paced lyrics.

Taking the pace of the set down a notch, Lie To Myself sees Montaigne showcasing her singer-songwriter roots - slinging on an acoustic guitar for this soaring, emotive ballad about "being a young silly billy". For the first time this evening The Triffid's crowd is now silent, captivated by the power of her piano-driven Consolation Prize - it's a rare moment, where Montaigne looks as small and defeated as the character she's singing about on a barely lit stage.

Next we're treated to two new songs from her upcoming second album. Unfortunately, both of these songs sound a little too raw, with simple backing of guitar and piano respectively, as Montaigne's voice overpowers the heart-on-sleeve lyricism.

Lifting the room's energy back up, feel-good track Come Back To Me sees plenty bouncing along as Montaigne shows off the full breadth of her impressive vocal range. While a super-honest backstory sheds light on how much real-life sentiment Montaigne injects into her lyrics, fan-favourite Because I Love You evokes a euphoric singalong. Her fantastic backing band show off their chops, keeping up with a wriggling Montaigne as she tears through the always-eccentric In The Dark.

The at times "a bit emo", but mostly jubilant, alt-pop set finishes with Till It Kills Me and I'm A Fantastic Wreck. In a show of sincere humbleness, Montaigne moves across the stage to touch the dozens of outstretched hands while her drummer slowly destroys his drum kit with crashing cymbals and a reckless pounding of various toms.

With a set full of extreme dynamics, astounding vocal refrains and honest back stories about the tracks on Glorious Heights, Montaigne is one of Australia's most charming and talented young pop artists.