YeoPerforming to an almost empty room, Canberra newcomer Eaves nevertheless acquits herself well. Her laptop-driven electronica lacks sophistication but her fundamentals and songwriting are sufficiently refined as to maintain interest throughout her set. Holding a nice balance between the rigid approach of instrumental hip hop producers like DJ Krush and the more shuddering, humanistic aesthetics of the new guard (Brainfeeder et al.), she shows a lot of potential for originality.
Sleepy Tea perform to a far larger crowd. Unsurprisingly so. Tom Wearne's post-Tin Can Radio project is already a remarkably developed initiative. Steering clear of the genre-hopping cleverness of his previous outfit, Sleepy Tea simply deliver warm, beautiful songs. With Wearne's wispy vocal, Alister Murray's tricksy rhythms and the occasional shade of subdued electronics, Radiohead is an obvious analog – but Sleepy Tea wisely offer a more colourful slant on the formula, thus avoiding becoming too derivative. An overly loud mix hampers their set slightly but it's beautiful music, regardless.
Similarly handicapped by an overly enthusiastic approach to volume, MKO's set also suffers in that they aren't quite as developed as their predecessors. There's talent, ambition and creativity to burn (frontwoman Hannah Macklin's vocals are blinding, for example) but they've yet to really bring such qualities together with sufficient consistency. There are stellar songs in the fray (Snarly, especially, is arguably one of the best songs of 2013) but they're let down by a certain workman-like approach to performance and less consistent songwriting. Still, new cut Sidecar shows they're still heading in the right direction.
Yeo is increasingly becoming an enigma of Australian music. Having begun promisingly as a DIY soul/hip hop artist, he's since tackled everything from reggae to electro to full-blown country music. For tonight's showcase, he's focusing on his recent electro/experimental album, Sell Out. Greatly removed from the production-heavy aesthetics of the album by a three-piece band, Yeo's latest songs take on a whole new energy live that is stupidly infectious. Sleek and soulful on record, Art Of A Ghost is delightfully thuggish in delivery. Expedit transitions from cool disco to brutalising electro. Fortunately, the more restrained Jacob's Ladder retains its spectral grandeur.
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The set is significantly damaged by a ridiculously loud mix. At one point, even Yeo's fellow musicians seem almost incapacitated by the volume of the sub-bass. Still, Yeo's infectious, goofy charisma carries the performance through to triumph. Dorkily unloading a keytar, he looks forlornly at the audience – “I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell your friends about this” – but then proceeds to rock it like a champ. It's a testament to his energy that, even after giving punters explicit permission as an Australian audience not to dance, many actually fail to so censor themselves.
It's increasingly hard to make sense of his career – but, whatever else he chooses to be as a musician, Yeo remains a truly fantastic performer.
