Phosphorescent @ Oxford Art Factory

Ali Barter’s mesmerising voice drew the growing crowd closer to the front as the main room of the Oxford Art Factory gradually filled for tonight’s show. ‘At Sea’ saw her swap the guitar for keys, and final song ‘Community’ was a slyly sultry affair.

Phosphorescent took the stage to their latest album Muchacho’s opener ‘Sun, Arise! (An Invocation, An Introduction)’, and the tone was that of a trucker troubadour mixed with Americana-infused rock. Matthew Houck and his band oozed swagger, but it was tinged with the vulnerability of the tales of love and losing it that he has spun for over a decade.

‘Tell Me Baby (Have You Had Enough)’ featured mournful slide guitar and one of the many instrumental interludes that showcased each of the players’ individual talents, while still blending with the natural awareness that comes from constantly performing together for so long. For the atmospheric version of ‘Song For Zula’, Houck’s voice cracked and soared, before the band closed its main set with the all-in ‘Ride On / Right On’.

Houck returned for a solo encore that began with ‘Wolves’, an “older song from a while back” that saw his vocals descending into echoing, howling loops and sent the audience into a hushed awe. In keeping with the back-catalogue theme, Houck then led the crowd in a sing-along to ‘When We Fall’ (“It’s pretty obvious what’s required here, and you can’t fuck it up, I promise!”).

Next, the band returned for a rollicking version of ‘Los Angeles’. Before the last song, Houck took the time to thank everyone, announcing that after two years of touring, “this was going to be [their] last show for quite a while”.

Watching from the crowd, The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel was also impressed, talking effects pedals and Telecasters with Phosphorescent’s guitarist after the show. It was a great set, and Houck and his band teased out new shades from both old and more recent material in a fascinating way.