Live Review: Jaala, Moreton

It's school holidays, Thursday night, a pretty relaxed time for anyone who finds themselves in the Valley. It makes perfect sense that during a time like this you would want to check out Melbourne jazz-prog-soul aficionado Jaala.

Local indie swooners Moreton set the mood perfectly at the start of the night, and with a sea of familiar faces for them in the audience The Foundry becomes one big family. The music of Moreton has a similar family vibe, with themes of love, loss, friends and the ones who drink too much. With some killer drumming and phenomenal dynamics matched by one of the sweetest voices in Brisbane, Moreton are a treat with an audience stood in awe. A new album very close, we get to hear a number of new tracks that all sound as gorgeous as you would expect from Moreton, but with lyrics that are much more personal than the previously released EP.

Jaala are an act who in some part transcend genre; a heavy spoonful of jazz in the sound, as well as pinches of soul, prog and pop at times. Donning a bright red jumpsuit, singer/guitarist Cosima Jaala jumps on stage to break the ice while her fellow band members take their "pre-gig shits". There is plenty of chatting during the set, starting with a lengthy dig on leaving Brisbane for Melbourne before first track Sames. Throughout the set, Cosima touches on experiences with drugs, problems with Queensland and the climate. At times, talking to the audience seems to take precedence over the music and the sanity of Cosima seems in limbo, but this just adds to the mood of each track. Beaming with confidence and potentially illegal substances, Cosima rambles on taking acid in the park, as well as the overwhelming cockiness of modern men. However, we aren't here for a TED talk, we want to hear the new album, with plenty of cuts from Joonya Spirit as "the old stuff is two years old, sorry". Each track sounds even more intricate than on the album and the spot-on vocals and huge sound produced from only three people makes us wonder if some sort of witchcraft is taking place. The highlight of the set is the passionate track Horn, charged with raucous guitar chords mixed with gentle melodies and drums that shift like Jekyll and Hyde. You could hear a pin drop in the room during the set, with everyone spellbound.

A new track is even thrown into the mix that explores more of the gentler side of Jaala's sound, showcasing the breathtaking range Cosima has continued to explore through the band's recent material. Some older tracks do end up sneaking their way into the set, with "piss-in-your-pants kind of song" Salt Shaker helping to close out the set before Junior Spirit. Of course, the set comes to a close with one last heart-warming piece of spoken word for punters before returning home, "Earth is dying and we all die, that's a certainty."