Live Show Reviews

Rose Wintergreen, Cypher, at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 3 Aug 2014 - The Music

Dreamy and soothing, Cypher, in duo mode, layers electric guitar, keys, beats and the earthy vocals of songwriter Faith Ty. She sounds far older than her 16 years, and was a finalist of a triple j Unearthed High competition last year for good reason. She knows her way around a hook, like in Child – “Little do they know I'm not afraid of the dark” – and new song Pretend shows a strong groove. Her inexperience shows only in the unfinished feel some songs have, with a hook and beautiful texture but without further exploration. This will no doubt come with time. There is talent aplenty here, and Cypher is definitely one to watch.

Artist Rose Wintergreen (yes, her actual name) has been based in Melbourne of late, but returns to her hometown Brisbane for the final date in her tour. Leaving her band behind and nursing a busted guitar from the flight, she plays on a borrowed six-string, and with accompaniment from local lass Kathryn McKee on keys and cello, a percussionist also jumps on stage a few times. Opening her set solo with a loop pedal, Wintergreen showcases the highlight of the afternoon: her voice.

A simple eerie vocal bed is created, and she silences the room with the first few notes. The loops don’t appear much for the rest of the set, which is a shame, as there is a freshness to the performance when she uses them. Instead she sticks to her folk roots – minimally-played guitar and ukulele, confessional and conversational lyrics and an earnest, eccentric stage manner.

At one point Wintergreen reminds us to breathe, and gets the audience to stand in a ‘power pose’ with hands on hips, a surreal and fun moment. The pacing of the show is a little awkward and slow-moving at times, but this doesn’t detract from its high points. Pillow is a sweet love song about inhaling a lover’s scent, aptly exploiting the cello in the arrangement, whereas Lonely Planet is more sultry and hypnotic in its declaration of love. A looped version of Massive Attack’s Teardrop slowly unfolds and in the final moments we see the full power of Wintergreen’s voice – and it raises goosebumps. Newly-launched single This City closes the set and shows a new writing direction. It boasts samples and electronic production, lending a lightness that helps balance the darker subject matter.

- Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood

Rose Wintergreen live at The Toff in Town, 23 July 2014 - Skylashes

We love being haunted.

On 23 July Rose Wintergreen brought the haunt at the Toff in Town.

What does it mean to be haunted? Rose Wintergreen summoned ghosts of memories past. She wove stories of the intersection between vivid dreams and half-forgotten memories. These are not the stories of eating a tuna sandwich in the summertime. This is 9pm in the middle of winter and you’re not quite sure if you’re creating a new memory or reliving an existing one. You’re not quite sure if you’ve been here before.

This is music that pulls at something hidden deep within us.

Rose Wintergreen is something of a phenomenon. Originally establishing herself as an acoustic folk artist, she’s since expanded her sound with a range of new colours and textures. In addition to her guitar, Wintergreen introduced four backing singers, electric violin, piano, electronic backing tracks, a looper and even a kalimba. The result was lush and varied, extending beyond what the handful of musicians on stage would imply.

Rose Wintergreen’s set mainly consisted of new songs selected from her upcoming album. But she also managed to sneak in a couple of cheeky covers – Teardrop and Sweet Dreams – both performed solo with looped vocals. From unassuming, almost unrecognisable beginnings, Wintergreen added layer after sublime layer to build toward a dense texture of intricately woven vocal melodies.

The single she was launching – ‘This City’ – rounded off the set as a kind of dark lullaby to see her audience off into the night. The song spins a story of reclaiming the boundary between the self and the other, anthropomorphising the city as an intimidating and assimilating force. Both words and music would be at home in a Tim Burton film, juxtaposing the dark and mysterious with the personal and fragile.

Rose Wintergreen’s upcoming album ‘Aurora’ will be released later this year. Visit her website at http://rosewintergreen.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosewintergreen