Live Review: Ralway Bell, Billie Rogers

Ralway Bell are well and truly a band on the rise. Named as the Country Group of the Year at the 2016 WA Country Music Awards and with their new single, Caught In The Crossfire, having already taken out the 2017 WAM Song of The Year for Country, it was no surprise to find Rodney's Bait & Tackle literally packed to the rafters for the band's official single launch, one of their last local gigs before setting out on their first eastern states tour.

With punters queuing up outside the already full venue, the evening was kicked off by the oh-so-sweet voice of Billie Rogers, performing for the most part in duo mode with guitarist Kilian Albrecht. Always a captivating performer, Rogers' performance tonight was no exception, delivering a set highlighting her heartfelt songwriting; Rogers songs paired expertly with Albrecht's guitar and highlighted by her father, Bill Rogers of the Zydecats, who joined her on stage to add some piano and harmonica to the mix.

With the queue outside now stretching past the venue and around the corner, Ralway Bell squeezed on to the rather small stage. Launching into what proved to be an amazing set that highlighted instantly the most memorable songs from their forthcoming album, Dear Friends, as well as the more familiar material from their last EP, I Am A Superhero. Opening with Optimism... (Is A Hard Act To Keep Up), a heartfelt ballad from the new album, was highlighted by Jeremy Threlfall's smooth pedal steel and Nigel Bird's intuitive drumming.

Ralway Bell's new material undoubtedly proves that charismatic frontman Ben Wilson's songwriting has developed and progressed to another level since their previous release, as evidenced by the title track of the new album, Dear Friends - an impassioned song of love and loss. Another cracking song from the upcoming album, Take A Swing, was followed by the title track of their previous release, I Am A Superhero, which was an obvious crowd favourite.

From James Allsopp's opening riff, Friends Down South is one of those infectious songs that, although new, is instantly recognisable and was embraced by the audience, with a large portion of them happily joining in with bass player Jason Bale's backing vocals. The same could also be said of Ralway Bell's new single, Caught In The Crossfire, with its immediately catchy chorus and Wilson's memorable and relatable lyrics, "…Townes Van Zandt plays on my stereo, another night three sheets to the wind…", striking a chord with the enthralled crowd.

Finishing off the evening's set with Things Are Looking Up, Ralway Bell left the stage to thunderous applause.