Live Review: Anna Of The North, Leisure Suite

 It's an early show tonight and one crowd member can even be seen still finishing off their dinner as they chow down on a kebab while watching Leisure Suite. The duo's chilled-out indie electronic grooves and soulful vocals create a dreamy textured soundscape to digest. Their latest song Shut Down is refreshing and probably the most memorable of the set. The seamless production of energetic beats features a cruisy '90s R&B vibe with an assertive message as lead vocalist Bridgette Le sings, "Don't go taking any chances 'cos I shut you down!"

"Melbourne, we sold out!" shouts Anna Lotterud (aka Anna Of The North). The room is packed-out for her first show in the city where she once lived before she became a fully fledged musician. It's also the place where she met her New Zealand-born band member and producer Brady Daniell-Smith. She begins her set with Oslo, which introduces us to her Norwegian origin and serves as an ode to the city she calls home. Lotterud is the quintessential Scandinavian electro-pop artist.

Lotterud's outfit includes an oversized green jumper, pink tracksuit pants and brown Gucci socks with New Balance runners. She's certainly all about the casual comfort and this translates through to her performance. Her band crafts fresh melodies and vibrant layers of sound production around her perfectly sweet vocals - delivered effortlessly with a natural, progressive flow. The Dreamer showcases Lotterud's enchanting vocals combined with a powerful and euphoric shimmering synth crescendo. 

Anna Of The North performs a few of the singles that have so far been released from the upcoming debut album Lovers, set to be released next month. Money, Lovers and Someone are only the tip of the iceberg of what to expect from this promising breakout artist. To finish she shares Fire, a song that only dropped just a few hours before the show. The soaring anthem is the perfect way to end, with tropical vibes that raise the temperature to new heights. Anna Of The North has come full circle making her long-awaited return south, where her musical journey began, and now she's right where she needs to be.