Intimately set at The Promothean on a Sunday afternoon; Chloe Castledine and Kristian Jackson showcased their colossal vocal talent to a small, composed crowd. What better way to spend a sweltering seedy Sunday than with plush couches, dim lighting, air conditioning, post-mix coke and jazzy lounge-pop/classic Australian rock?
The vivacious Chloe Castledine from SA was up first with a huge, gutsy voice (a stark contrast to her tiny frame). She performed songs from her new E.P, as well as a booming cover of the “Queen of Soul” Chaka Kahn’s “Ain’t Nobody” with sultry pizzazz and an instantly likeable onstage persona.
With a voice quite deep and undeniably strong, Chloe has great potential as a pop singer, but whether there’s still a market for vocally driven pop in the current music climate, I’m not sure. The jazz direction is a good choice; she could definitely work on her style a bit more to achieve an Amy Winehouse-like sound. Props to her talented (and pretty good looking) band as well!
Up next was earnest singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kristian Jackson. Despite a bit of a rocky start (the electronic drum beat was a little thin and the timing askew), he put on a solid performance.
Jackson and his bassist Grant Walter delivered classic and slightly generic Aussie-rock (I could smell an INXS cover from a mile away). However, his heartfelt lyrics, warm, friendly vibe and enormous, radiant love for music give him something that’s impossible not to like. I think he could improve his live performance style by either leading a full band with a bit more of an edge, or completely stripped back with just him and his guitar on stage. The electronic drum beat and keyboard backing music just felt like he was half doing it – he needed to go to one extreme or the other.
His vocals were incredibly strong throughout the whole performance, and there’s no doubt he knows his way around a guitar and piano. A couple of songs from his debut album Blood Eyes Sunrise truly shone and the sentiment behind his lyrics manifested, giving the impression that Jackson is a lot more than meets the eye.
The afternoon was a good escape from a disgustingly hot day, and a great way to see some excellent Aussie talent at one of Adelaide’s most charming live music venues, The Promethean.
