Live Review: Fat Shan Records Showcase

Starting the evening was the honorary member of every band in Perth, Timothy Nelson. Singing with a rolling story-teller's cadence and an autobiographical tilt, steady strumming underscored the reflection and irreverence of the lyrics, which delved without metaphor into the sensation of a changing self throughout the years. All songs held to a certain sort of consistency, which let final song Caroline shine the brighter, show-casing an expanded vocal range, bringing sadness in tone and as well as key.

Whereas Nelson focused on the self, David Craddock's song work focused on the imagined lives of others. Holding to a predominately country and folk style, Craddock remained engaging by shifting sounds with the use of harmonica, playing around with sustaining high notes in some songs, while using a spoken word style in others. An improvised guitar solo involving the request for a beer ended a satisfying set.With the hair of Elvis Presley, a baritone voice evoking Johnny Cash, and a set list consisting of mainly cover songs, it was hard to find who David Craft was amongst it all, but I suppose like any mixed tape, there is meaning behind the choices. Whatever subtext there was to read, he seemed far more confident in the delivery of Leonard Cohen and Hank Williams than his own songs.

Heralding the first electric guitar of the night, if for nothing more than the first couple of songs, Jacob Diamond played to a '70s frame of mind. With a picking style that evoked a light and atmospheric tone, combined with a lilting vocal delivery that was pleasant to the ear, the sin of sameness crept in, making it a set list in sore need of variation to remain engaging. The last footsteps to hit the stage for the night, Amanda Merdzan took us straight into the deep with In The Wake, a story about encountering a moment you know will echo through the rest of your life. Setting the tone of autobiography meeting poetic-happenstance, Merdzan underscored her lyrics with a playing style of constantly shifting chords within the rhythm – allowing the songs to remain fresh throughout the set, with the occasional picking to give it a snap. A soft voice filled with strength, she was an exceptional finale to a night highlighting local players worth keeping an eye on.