Live Review: Nat Dunn, The Starry Field

The stage at Black Bear Lodge is first commandeered by Mark Myers' (formerly of The Middle East) new solo project, The Starry Field on this hump-day. Considering it's a weeknight, he's pulled a commendable crowd to the venue, and gets to work charming the audience straight away with a stripped-back, completely solo, acoustic performance. The set is opened with his single If All Your Troubles Were A Sea, and his vocals are so endearing that they have the effect of instantly warming the room. A few songs in, however, it becomes difficult to stay focused on the performance; while the songs are very lovely and sweet, they start to feel more and more like background music as the set carries on. Myers' album Back On The Milks contains a plethora of instrumental layers, such as keys, drums, synths and backing vocals, and it feels like he does need some accompaniment to make his performance live up to that potential and really shine.

Local songstress Nat Dunn has sold out tonight's show, and as such the room is buzzing with energy and positivity when it's time for her to take the stage. Tonight's show marks the launch of her debut EP A Fool's Fate, and she kicks off the proceedings with her upbeat new single Trigger, which is followed closely by the title track Fool's Fate. Both songs are met with an incredibly warm reception from the audience, yet one can't help but feel that a little more subtlety in Dunn's performance would allow for more resonance. She introduces her next song Mango Tree by telling us that it is of personal significance to her, as it reminds her of friends and family, and perhaps for this reason, the song is much more effective in hitting the mark – it's one of her slower songs, yet it showcases the beautiful, smoky quality of her vocals in a style of blues that feels more suited to her than the previous tracks. While Dunn and her band do appear to be enjoying themselves, similarly to Myers, there is something missing from the performance to make it really hold attention. Her vocals are good, and her band is willing and able, yet there are times throughout the night where it all feels a little bit forced and overdone.