Angus and Julia Stone w/ Luke Sital-Singh
Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
11.29.17

The world has seen plenty of performance duos, even more bands, and loads more solo artists. But one thing we don’t see quite as often is sibling duos. Hailing all the way from Sydney, Australia, brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone brought their gritty folk-pop to the Neptune, sheltering us from the cold and rain with their soft, warm tracks for the night.

The first act of the night, Luke Sital-Singh’s set was just as hilarious as it was beautiful. The set was made up of terribly sad and lovely tracks, a simplicity he recognized and embraced fully. After all, if the world ever were a fully perfect place, he wouldn’t get to sing some of his favorite songs anymore.

Angus and Julia Stone’s albums float all around the folk spectrum, with upbeat songs like “Bloodhound” alongside “Big Jet Plane,” a softer track that earned them a glimpse of fame years ago, and lovey tracks like “Nothing Else.”

“Cellar Door” was the first song of the night that really seemed to register with the crowd. After the original excitement of their arrival mellowed out a little, the track brought the crowd back to exactly what an Angus and Julia Stone show is: laidback but still easy to follow and be engaged with. Theirs is a unique sound that still employs moments of typical folk elements.

A bit of a surprise track for the night, the intro to “Bloodhound” was more electronic, leaning less towards The Lumineers and more towards Oh Wonder with a more contemporary sound. The switch in gears was balanced out quickly by Angus’ trademark gravelly voice and Julia’s harmonies, making it entirely their own, and a really interesting mix for the night.

“Nothing Else” was, hands-down, one of the best songs of the performance. Using a cigar box bass that looked completely different from any of the typical choices, the track has their darker sound, but still with loving lyrics and melodies that are easy to catch onto and sing along with.

Angus and Julia Stone are a brother/sister duo worthy of recognition for much more than just 2010’s “Big Jet Plane.” In the past seven years, they’ve refined their albums, mixing their folksy sound into something darker. The contrasting sweet lyrics create a performance that is perfectly lovely and encapsulating.

Review and photos by Lulu Dawson

Angus and Julia Stone


Luke Sital-Singh