Live Review: Meredith ‘Nostalgia’ EP Launch w/ Post-Dusk & Yuuca @ Black Bear Lodge

Electronic songstress Meredith is a blossoming feature of the local music scene, and after her single launch show on Thursday night, she’s no longer Brisbane’s best-kept secret. With her stunning debut EP ‘Nostalgia’ in tow, Meredith is well and truly on her way to something big.

First up, Post-Dusk a.k.a. Ruby Smith, a one-woman-show with a one-of-a-kind style, delivered a set made for swaying and slow-dancing. The same easy style flowed through each track, the dreamy combination of synthesisers and guitar making the perfect frame for Smith’s vocals. Her voice, from pure high register through to gutsy mid-range drawl, stood out against the echoing synth and trickling sound effects, her black hat and dramatic red blazer accentuating the quirky vocals. Even illness and technological challenges couldn’t phase this seasoned songstress – she finished the set with her natural stage charisma and confidence intact.

Up next were Rei Bingham and Emily Nguyen-Hunt from Brisbane dream pop band Yuuca. Their set began with a driving rhythm and cheerful guitar melodies, but the energy dipped as they led into the second number, stripping back to highlight the guitar’s chilled vibes. Bingham looked completely absorbed in the melody, creating a sound dreamy enough to lull the audience into a trance. The energy picked up again during the third number, but ultimately Yuuca’s set wasn’t about energy – it was about their unique melodies, pure vocals, and synergy between the duo and their audience.

At 10pm, Meredith and her band finally surfaced, starting off with a gentle number that highlighted their sweet harmonies and instrumental restraint. It was warm and mournful, sad and sweet, innocent and wise – everything at once – and with a seamless vocal blend, it set a high bar for what was to come.

The opening track from ‘Nostalgia’, Jumpin Beds was a worthy follow-up, showing off Meredith’s warm mid-register. She pulled back in all the right places, allowing the small inflections to shine over the thick production and radiating confidence as she swayed from side to side. She won the crowd over once and for all with her modesty, honesty, and another harmony-laden tune in Running Asleep.

Taking a detour from the EP, the raw acoustics and piercing lyrics of I Want a Boyfriend Just Like Tin Tin almost stole the show. Meredith transformed its words and melody into emotion in its purest form, the feeling behind every syllable showing on her face.

Just past the halfway point, Cleanse My Soul marked the exchange of soft for strong and sultry. Deep, pulsing synthesisers and crashing drums built anticipation, adding an extra dramatic edge and sweetening the arrival of each vocal line. The same was true of album’s opening track Levels, the production striking a tasteful balance between gentle and powerful. Light, airy notes counteracted the depth of Meredith’s chest register, the soul and passion tangible in every word.

Confessing to an obsession with Jarryd James, Meredith pulled off a perfectly-executed cover of Do You Remember, smiling as the crowd sang along. The song was more than a simple cover or a demonstration of artistic versatility – with a soft section to show off the purity and strength of her mid-range, it was more proof of Meredith’s ability to  deliver a show full of memorable moments.

All good things must come to an end, but a good ending just about makes up for the fact that the show is almost over. One of the EP’s edgiest tunes, How Could You Believe That took on a new life in a live setting, finished off with a few tender, exposed vocal lines and goosebump-inducing harmonies. The final lines had the crowd holding their breath, drinking in the emotion, and feeling a new kind of ‘Nostalgia’ – the kind that can only be cured with new music. Not to worry, though – if her EP Launch was anything to go by, Meredith’s next tour will be just what Brisbane needs.

Check out our Photo Gallery from the EP Launch HERE, read our EP review of ‘Nostalgia’ HERE, and WATCH our interview with Meredith HERE