Live Review: Sarah Blasko, Jack Colwell

Sarah Blasko and her five-piece band emerge and launch straight into I Am Ready from last year's stellar Eternal Return. Blasko will perform all ten songs from that album over the course of her set, which is wonderful because there is a dearth of smart pop music for adults in this country and that is exactly what Eternal Return provides in satisfyingly synth-heavy spades. Her exquisitely ethereal voice never betrays a hint of strain, even as she reaches high into her upper registers. It is perfectly suited to the soft synthetic touches of this new musical direction.

After a couple of warmly received older songs (All I Want, We Won't Run) all but two members of her band exit the stage. Accompanied only by ukulele and double bass, Blasko performs a beautifully spare version of Here. It is a glorious moment that showcases what a truly sublime voice she has.

Blasko moves with an unexpected yet utterly endearing awkwardness. It may be partly due to the oversized jacket she's wearing tonight, but something in her slightly stilted movements is reminiscent of David Byrne. Sometimes between songs she seems to want to say something but isn't quite sure what. As the set goes on she appears visibly relieved that things are going well — not something you expect from someone who has existed in Australian pop's upper echelons for over a decade.

Blasko closes out the main set with Without, during which all five band members are stationed at synths, creating a sea of synthesised sound over which her smoke-and-honey voice floats. Blasko and band soon return with the elegantly subversive I Wanna Be Your Man followed by the gorgeous ballad Luxurious, completing our journey through Eternal Return. Finally, I Awake provides a thrilling, thunderous conclusion to the evening. The six people on stage join hands, take their bows and depart the stage to deservedly warm applause. Here's hoping Blasko returns, er, eternally.