Live Review: Oliver Tank, Oscar Key Sung

Sydney's gentle, hypnotising guitarist/singer/beatmaker, Oliver Tank, drew in hordes of young hipsters to the Metro Theatre on Saturday night. Releasing his second EP, Slow Motion Music, late last year, and embarking on a national tour this month, more and more people have been falling for Tank's ethereal electronic-pop music.

Before the punters got what they came for, however, they were treated to the supremely underrated Oscar Key Sung. Looking almost vulnerable alone on stage behind modest decks and drum pads, he opened a cappella, looping gorgeous harmonies and finger clicks that built into a solid beat. His prowess seemed initially wasted on the somewhat self-involved crowd, but the young Melburnian's enjoyment seemed to only increase as the set went on. With undeniable contemporary R&B sensibilities, Key Sung's warming vocals are reminiscent of other buzz artists of the same genre: Blood Orange and Autre Ne Veut. His dance-inducing beats are contagious and tracks like All I Could Do got even this nonchalant crowd moving, and it was a shame to see him exit.

By the time Tank walked on stage, the room was full of fans, eager for what was to come. While it's fair to label Tank's music as “ethereal”, the moment he began, you could feel deep bass move up through your legs and into your chest. Perhaps it's due to the contrasting support act, but unfortunately Tank's set very easily washed over you, with each song hardly distinguishable from the next. That's not to say that his music isn't beautiful, but there is little that grabs you. It could even be argued that this bill would have worked better had the order been swapped around.

Up All Night blends well into a cover of The Beatles' Blackbird, and Fawn Myers is a valuable addition on several songs, notably Embrace.

It's a risky choice to cover what is arguably one of the greatest folk songs ever written, and Tank and Myers' duet of The Sound Of Silence is fine and lovely, but perhaps unnecessary and it doesn't do the original justice.

Tank's cover of Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's 2003 hit, Beautiful, on the other hand, is great. He really makes it his own, and with nods to The Postal Service, this inoffensive musician's layered rendition finishes the night on a high note. Of course, the cheeky inclusion of a Drop It Like It's Hot sample doesn't hurt, either.