When it comes to the latest batch of young, pretty songstresses, it must be stated that Kimbra is the real deal. She is already a force to be reckoned with, but at the end of the day she’s still only 21 years old. Give her a few more years I reckon, and there’s a great chance that she’ll be one of the biggest antipodean stars in the world.
Hyperbole? Perhaps, but let’s take a look at her performance. Show opener Settle Down set the tempo of the evening, with shiny Motown hooks and Kimbra jubilantly breaking into scat territory. But she isn’t just buzzy pop. Her jazzed-up and respectful cover of Nina Simone’s Plain Gold Ring showcased a more serious, insightful side; her vocals taking on an appealing lower register.
One of my only complaints would have to be that her 5-piece backing band seemed a little on the anaemic side, lacking the drama and oomph Kimbra’s voice demanded. Kimbra’s pipes are her greatest weapons, and backing them up with a mildly humdrum band somewhat akin to putting a V8 engine into a Getz.
The crowd’s ears perked up as she delivered a quieter, more bluesy version of Miami Horror’s I Look To You, which she had sung on last year, but it wasn’t until she introduced her best-known number, the charming Cameo Lover that the confines of the Forum lost their collective shit. Up until that point, the audience had been rather subdued; it was great to see them truly come alive and voice their adulation.
Kimbra seems fully aware of where she stands. From time to time during the show, she would gaze out at her fans and beam an impossibly beautiful grin. She’s been anointed the next Pop Princess – and she knows it.
BY THOMAS BAILEY
