Those of you familiar with my reviews may notice that most of the gigs I review tend to be at the Standard Hotel on Crown Street, and if not there, in very similar spaces. Usually these dives are not terribly intimate but with lots of room to thrash about. And believe me, I love it. However, this Elana Stone gig was a little different. It was held in Venue 505 (as mentioned), which has more in common with a smoky jazz club than anything I have been to in recent months, and I have to say the place was a much welcomed change. From the comfy couches to the gentle relaxing ambience, it was the perfect hole in the wall for Elana Stone.
She opens her set with “These Days” and I am transported back to Peats Ridge the second I see her pick up the accordion. Her band provides an often-bouncy accompaniment to her smooth-as-silk vocals, as evidenced in her second song of the evening, “New Life”. A further highlight includes the creeping piano line to “Boa Constrictor” which gives us a real chance to hear the subtleties to Elana’s voice, which is pitch-perfect even while banging away at the keys of her grand piano.
Aside from everything already mentioned, one of my favourite aspects of her show is the way the synthesiser is integrated into the very organic, jazzy, folksy sound. It really serves to highlight the pop sensibilities of her music.
The second half of her show opens with the ever so lively “Gravity” which serves as a great contrast to the oh so sultry and moving “Pirate Song” which jumps out towards the end of her set.
I would suggest those with a taste for strong female vocals and jaunty melodies check out Elana Stone any chance they get. She also has two albums under her belt, In the Garden of Wild Things and Your Anniversary, both of which are available on iTunes (but be nice and go buy a physical copy from those abandoned husks formerly known as record stores).
