Reviewed onWednesday July 27
The fact that the Oxford Art Factory is positively buzzing at least 30 minutes before Buoy‘s support set is due to start is testament to the pull of tonight’s headliner. An evening of all-female Splendour In The Grass alumni is what this sold-out show has in store, and Sydney resident Buoy begins with ominous underwater-like electronic pulses and earthy vocals.
The rest of her set seems to float off into a world of obscurity. It’s no more obvious than during a song like ‘Took Me Up’, which competes with the increasing volume of conversation among many of the patrons. But Buoy’s closing song ‘One Day’ simmers down the chatter with a rumbling bassline. It’s a fairly ambiguous yet beautiful sound, but the feeling remains in the air that this artist might not have been an ideal match for tonight’s gig.
Half an hour later and Yorkshire’s own Låpsley takes the stage with a short “hello” and a small observation: “It’s sold out tonight, fuckin’ mad one.”
Her old-time soul-tinged vocals mix nicely with the minimalist electronic instrumentation behind her, particularly on ‘Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me)’ and single ‘Cliff’. But it’s just after the latter that the real gem in tonight’s set is revealed: Låpsley’s personality. As the final note rings out, she says, “I’m usually slut-dropping by this point, but I’m wearing a dress today.” Other highlights include the explanation of how she learned the Aussie term “cooked as” at Splendour In The Grass this past weekend, and also her declaration: “It’s my first time in Australia. I really like it, the food’s really nice and everyone’s really fit.”
Aside from reacting to Låpsley’s humorous observations, the audience members are relatively subdued, but you can tell they’re drinking in everything from her stage performance. With the likes of ‘Falling Short’ and ‘Station’ encouraging sing-alongs, nothing can crown her Australian trip better than an encore of hit song ‘Hurt Me’ and a stripped-back cover of the Kate Bush classic ‘This Woman’s Work’, originally recorded to mark International Women’s Day. All in all, Låpsley gave Sydney the ideal reprieve from the post-Splendour blues.
