Each December, Australian shores a blessed with a surmountable amount of musical talent apart of the nation’s favourite music extravaganza, Meredith Music Festival.
This year’s line-up dropped a few months ago, delivering as always, the best of the best. Among the cream of the crop is Alabama-born now Brooklyn-based indie folk extraordinare Matthew Houck, also known as Phosphorescent.
Charming Aussie hearts in 2011 apart of the now fallen Harvest Festival, the troubadour returns with an arsenal of fresh material courtesy of his 2013 release Muchacho, a universally acclaimed record that was undeniably one of the best for the year.
We’re pretty damn excited for this man’s arrival on our sunny shores and felt it necessary to compile a list of reasons why you cannot miss the incredibly talented musician in December.
The Release Of ‘Muchacho’
Despite being around since 2001, last year was certainly a breakout year of sorts for Phosphorescent.
The release of the stunning LP Muchacho – the sixth full-length release from Houck – was met with the biggest critical acclaim of his career. The album was widely regarded as one of 2013’s best, and all of the sudden, undeniably thanks-in-part to Pitchfork‘s glowing 8.8 review, Phosphorescent was moved from the outskirts of the indie rock scene to a name a little closer to the forefront of the scene’s collective consciousness.
It’s not without reason Muchacho got more people talking about Phosphorescent – it’s arguably the most beautiful and polished record in his expansive back catalogue, with Youck’s song-writing at its stunning, polished best.
Now, a year on, having had time to adjust to his rising profile and the biggest crowds and stages that have come with it on the back of Muchacho, it’s perhaps never been a better time to witness Phosphorescent in the flesh.
The Live Band
Phosphorescent shows are known to be emotive, intense experiences.
Houck takes the stage with five-piece backing band, there to help him bring all the elements in his written arrangements to life.
The live renditions serve to add a layer of understanding and dimension to the recordings. Live, sweeping six-minute epics like ‘Song For Zula’ extend out even further while stripped-backed ballads like ‘Wolves’ become even barer. The overall emotion, too, as the set ebbs and flows in delicate grandiosity, is even more potent in the live setting.
It’s strange to think Houck was ever a somewhat low-profile bedroom musician, because now he feels, looks and sounds totally at home on festival main stages, like he will at Meredith in December.
He’s Playing Meredith
Yes, you can thank Aunty Meredith for Phosphorescent coming out to Australia.
Houck’s performance at Meredith’s Supernatural Amphitheatre will undoubtedly be the best place to catch him while he’s Down Under, but if you can’t make it to the festival, you can also witness Phosphorescent’s esteemed songbook at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel and the Oxford Art Factory (dates below).
It’s a pretty stunning sight: Phosphorescent’s dreamy, heart-wrenching sounds cascading over Meredith’s massive grassy knoll and all its world-renowned friendly inhabitants. The feel-good vibes will be out of control, and it’s definitely a set you won’t want to miss. The swaying singalong for ‘Ride On / Right On’ will warm your soul.
The Set List
Phosphorescent set lists typically comprise of tracks from all six albums (and one EP), which is sure to please old time fans, but newcomers will be pleased to know the vast majority of songs are taken from Muchacho.
To get a feel for what you can expect, this is what the set list from Lollapalooza looked like in August this year:
He’s A Festival Veteran
Youck has played his fair share of festivals over his 13 year career. Over the past two years alone he has played at Glastonbury, Bonaroo, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, and more, as well as filling the much-coveted support slot for The National. In other words, he knows what he’s doing.
He Won’t Be Here Long
With only three shows in Australia – Meredith and sideshows in only Melbourne and Sydney – there’s not many opportunities to see Houck before he leaves us again. Seeing as it’s been three years since Phosphorescent first came to Australia to play Harvest in 2011, it might be a long time before he comes back.
Australian Tour Dates
Friday December 12 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Sunday December 14 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Tickets on sale now through http://handsometours.com/
