By the time Courtney Barnett slips into the slack jawed “Avant Gardner”, the closer of her excellent set, the crowd is already sold on her brand of lazy suburban grunge.
Dressed in a baggy flannelette shirt, black guitar hanging somewhere around her knees, she cruised through new cuts of her just released record, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. New track “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Get To The Party” was beefed up with a rolling surf drums, and Barnett’s own playing has grown choppier; there’s less of the big arm strums now. Her deadpan 'strine accent simply falls about it. Barnett’s appeal lies in this easy approachability, so when “Avant Gardner” ends and she jumps down, starts handing out beers before just casually wandering off into the crowd – her set apparently finished – it feels totally normal.
Despite stepping out of his brother’s shadow, Will Butler hasn’t completely stepped out of Arcade Fire – his strange, angular rock melodies being heavily reflective. That aside, there’s a pleasant looseness to them that’s a world away from his brother, although he possesses the same on stage theatrics, constantly jerking and twisting his body. The songs are light, heavily percussive, occasionally punctuated by a discordant thrash of Butler’s distorted guitar. The effect is challenging to be sure, but there’s enough melody there to keep the propulsion.
After a middling set from American singer Twin Shadow, the hip hop contingent Earl Sweatshirt and Run The Jewels both upped the energy, but again it was Run The Jewels that eclipsed the Odd Future alum. Earl’s aggressive set was tight, mostly showcasing his record that’s due for release next week. The new beats are gluttonous, and glitchy, and his rapid-fire punk lyrics come like gut punches. However, the crowd chant that he whipped up halfway through: “’Imma fuck the freckles off your face, bitch”, was a low moment, utterly cringe worthy.
Run The Jewels, playing their fifth show for the week, didn’t show any signs of weariness in their crisp, 45 minute set. “Blockbuster Night Pt. 1” and “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)” were the obvious highlights, the latter being the frenzied, crowd jumping closer.
