A mediocre Thursday night became a compelling evening at the Goodgod Small Club after an excellent performance from Ainslie Wills at the singles tour of her song ‘Stop Pulling the String,’ which raised hairs, entranced ears and throbbed hearts. The privileged few who came and watched the show were serenaded by a truly talented band of exceptional artists on the rise.

Brendan Maclean opened up the night with a soulful delivery that could be compared to the likes of James Morrison and Gavin Degraw. However, a slight rawness in the execution of his performance distinguished Maclean with his creative originals crafted specifically to suit his vocal identity. His cover of Katy Perry songs was no less impressive, sounding quite polished in tandem with his ukulele.

The second act that followed was the fantastically psychedelic-folk musician Caitlin Park whose tantalising voice was honey to the sweetly inventive melodies. She acutely performs better live with her saccharine voice alluding to an innocence surrounded by a hardy layer of musical aptitude. She performed her version of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s theme song that was very much well-received with nostalgic glee by a crowd of Gen Y’ers.

The final set did not disappoint as the neo-folk rock siren from Melbourne, Ainslie Wills, with a glittery telecaster and her band, dazzled the crowd with a stunning crescendo of talent. Her solo introduction, both calming and classy, was reminiscent of Beth Orton and Annie DiFranco but her unique personality radiated through the mellow and cool tunes in the midst of enraptured silence throughout the Goodgod danceteria.

There was some drama concerning the equipment and Ainslie and her band paused in the middle of a song. Not the least bit discouraged, they continued brazenly into the night, concluding with the highlights, ‘Fighting Kind’ and ‘Stop Pulling the String’. They finished off with the overlapping melodic guitar, keyboard fills on steady bass line and solid drumbeat that at the end left the audience feeling quite inebriated, in a manner of speaking.

Well done.

Review Score: 3.5/5