Glass Animals Royally Seduced Sydneysiders Over the Weekend

Taking to the lush green set, fringed with palms and draped with their wild print fabrics, Oxford four-piece Glass Animals charmed and enthralled the Hi-Fi's intimate audience on Friday, January 9, lacing their rich and complex yet effortlessly smooth tunes with a little of their unique jungle spirit.

The fragile melody of opener 'Black Mambo' brought the show to life; the gentle, slow beats teasing the crowd like lead singer Dave Bayley's alluring vocals. The slithering single's climax showed the boys' fierce intensity that captivated the audience for the remainder of the evening. Their delicately produced and experimental electronic beats sound organic throughout the slick 'Walla Walla' and haunting 'Wyrd', and as they launch into last year's hugely popular hit 'Gooey', their luxe R&B sound brings an energy and warmth to the stage that goes beyond the ol', "Oh, I know this one".

The rhythmic 'Hazey' shows Bayley's vocals are the real deal; he reaches every note with pitch perfect precision and oozy confidence. The texturally rich synth is punctuated with his martial art-like grooving, the kind you'd see from that guy at the music festival who's dancing so hard that he doesn't care who's watching him. He's having fun, and it's contagious. The crowd is right there with him, hypnotically mouthing lyrics and aiding his venture up the barricades in his socks (shoes were removed to show off those mad dancing feet) to croon to the front row.

Returning for an encore, the band play their triple j Like a Version rendition of Kanye West's 'Love Lockdown', reawakening that R&B vibe to finish with 'Pools', a catchy crowd favourite that blends their twisted pop and infectious lyrics with wild, layered sonics — everything we love about this band. With the ability to turn a chilled out tune into a song that can inject a crowd with energy, and last week's announcement of their name on this year's Coachella lineup, Glass Animals are a sole reason to get yourself over to Palm Springs, or any worthy venue they happen to be purring at.

Image: Leigh Griffiths.