Concert review: Courtney Barnett, Kings Arms

Australian musician Courtney Barnett. Photo / Getty Images

Melodic bass lines were covered by scratchy, squealing guitars last night as Australian singer Courtney Barnett kicked off her international tour, performing to a sold out crowd at the Kings Arms in Auckland.

Bringing a raw folk-rock sound to the stage, Barnett and her band played songs from The Double EP: A Sea Of Spilt Peas as well as a few new tracks.

Known for her interesting, observational songwriting, thick Australian accent and rabbled spoken-word singing style, Barnett showed that she is also a wickedly cool guitar player, who knows how to put on a really fun show.

Lance Jr flowed into Canned Tomatoes through a psychedelic guitar solo, while a footstomping David had both Barnett and fans at the front of the packed venue headbanging to the sound.

Blues-rock transformed into grungy post-punk-inspired songs and back again throughout the night. Barnett and her band kept things tight while making the music loose and effortless.

"We're gonna play this beautiful love song so ... hold hands," Barnett said before launching into Don't Apply Compression Gently, a quirky down-tempo track with lyrics like: I may not be 100 per cent happy but at least I'm not with you.

Out Of The Woodwork, a heavy, drawled song, saw Barnett's spoken-word singing turn into a gritty growl, as she yelled out the lyrics before the song came to a close.

Animated projections of snowy mountains, monsters and blinking eyes screened over the band as they played the quiet Anonymous Club, then taking the the mood back up with Are You Looking After Yourself?, a great song, which depicts a phone conversation Barnett's parents might with the singer and her protesting replies.

Avant Gardener, a matter of fact song about Barnett's experience of going into anaphylactic shock, was a crowd favourite. The tempo of the song was sped up slightly and the were drums laid on thicker for the gig, which gave the indie-folk track more energy and are larger feel than what it has on A Sea Of Spilt Peas.

Barnett returned on stage by herself for an encore to play a beautifully stripped down version of Depreston, a new track that will feature on her upcoming album. The whole room fell silent as Barnett played the song gently on her electric guitar and then erupted with applause after the last note.

Barnett welcomed her band back on stage, but before finishing the night with alt-rock song History Eraser, she wished a goodnight's sleep for her fans and hinted that this won't be last time we see her performing in New Zealand.

Who: Courtney Barnett
Where: Kings Arms, Auckland
When: September 17

- nzherald.co.nz