Grizzly Bear

Review: There's something that goes though most people's heads when they see a gig at the City Recital Hall, which can be summed up as "why aren't there more shows at the City Recital Hall?" It's not the most rock'n'roll of spaces, sure, but it's perfect for shows that reward the keen listener. Like, for example, Grizzly Bear: given the fact that the members play multiple instruments (often during the one song) and frequently intertwine their voices in ethereal four-part harmony, you want to be able to hear every counterpoint melody, every flute loop, every guitar stab and every glockenspiel riff. To that end, it's worth applauding their front of house engineer: mixing such a complex band would be no easy task (and while we're at it, mad props to their lighting person who was evidently playing the board like an instrument themselves).

The set was drawn mainly from last year's universally acclaimed Veckatimest, opening the show with the pulsing 'Southern Point', although older favourites like the dreamy 'Colarado' were warmly received. They also pulled out both their contributions to the Dark Was The Night compilation (with 'Service Bell' working beautifully despite the absence of Feist's twittering vocals), and their acoustic, folk-barbershop encore of 'All We Ask' ("We haven't done this one in Australia yet," Edward Droste explained, before Daniel Rossen offered a teasing riff from 'Stairway to Heaven'). Ranging from the hypnotic ('Knife') to the invigorating ('While You Wait For The Others') within the space of 70-odd minutes, this was a magnificent gig. Andrew P Street