Live Review: Tin Sparrow, Jessica Cerro, Dirt Farmer

Melbourne five-piece Dirt Farmer played an approachable set of jangly Appalachian rock (harmonica, finger-pickin' etc.). They worked with a smart mix, a quieter volume for a quieter room and the edges of their sound were sharper as result. Moody single, Johnny Marble, sounded really good, with its harmonies having room to expand and surge into the hooks.

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Cerro was a highlight. She was unfortunately smothered by chatter and a front row that largely had their backs to her, but pressed on regardless. Perhaps swapping her and Dirt Farmer on the bill would have worked better. Her voice is astounding, able to control pitch with amazing accuracy. Her natural vibrato fluttered like a sparrow's wings and her impressively sophisticated songwriting hints at great things to come. Despite two gorgeous Feist covers, her confidence blossomed singing her own songs. Cerro's work has surprising emotional resonance, impressive at any age. Watch this space.

Tin Sparrow ride the crest of the retro folk rock wave without apology. Slide guitar, bit of facial hair, gurgling organ, psychedelic flourishes: it's all there. Like other bands of their ilk (led in this country by the likes of Boy & Bear) they have a vocal following, largely female judging by Friday night. This probably wasn't the best environment to judge them on any particular platform, or at least not in the most objective way, as the crowd screamed on cue at any old thing. Hey check it out, the drummer's talking! Hey check it out, he's playing slide guitar! Hey check it out, they're singing in harmony! You could probably say this about most shows, but this felt different. Was it the same-samey-ness of their sound? Was it the lack of substance in their songwriting? Or were they just not loud enough? Unknown. But their genial approach and the warmth of the whole line-up permeated the room, leaving a pleasant taste in the mouth after the last song.