Odette @ Newport Hotel, Fremantle
w/ Thando, Ellie Schoen
Friday, August 18, 2018
Sydney musician Georgia ‘Odette’ Sallybanks sold out the Fremantle leg of her debut album To A Stranger’s tour and on Friday night and it was easy to see why. Odette is clearly a young artist on the rise, with her debut single Watch Me Read You being voted #56 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 in January. The 21-year-old’s sound is an eclectic mixture of soul, jazz and pop with fragments of spoken word poetry, allowing for depth and maturity in her music.
Odette was supported by Fremantle local Elli Schoen and Melbourne R&B artist Thando, both dedicating songs to Arethra Franklin. The supporting acts brought great stage presence and female power that set the stage for Odette.
Everyone was there for Odette and this was made clear by her sound and presence captivating the room the instant she got on stage. Starting out with Come Close, Odette created a soulful atmosphere and as she progressed through her album the audience hung onto every word.
Her moody cover of Gang of Youths’ Magnolia was especially loved. She then proceeded through to melodic favourite, Watch Me Read You, which was sung word by word by the audience. Interestingly, Odette finished with the tense, more electric Fractured Glass, leaving the atmosphere more pumped than mellow.
Musically, Odette is clearly strong, however at times, she hid behind her music and could work on her stage presence. The use of recorded backup vocals was also a slight disappointment. However, this was a debut tour and hopefully as her meteoric rise continues these things will be improved in time. It’s also worth mentioning that this was not the usual atmosphere or crowd found at the Newport on a Friday night, and the venue felt like an unusual choice for the intimate audience. Even local artist Elli Schoen commented to the audience earlier in the night that it was not her typical experience of the Newport.
Regardless, Odette gave a deep, tender performance and is clearly a star on the rise and someone to watch.
CALLISTA GOH
Photos by Adrian Thomson
