This particular Friday evening marked an official return of sorts for Melbourne’s Lawrence Greenwood or as he is more commonly known Whitley, who after a few years away from the scene, found himself back up on stage at new Brunswick hot spot, Howler.
Whitley casually and without a hint of pretention played through his back catalogue, covering material from all three albums including this year’s Even the Stars Are a Mess. What stands out immediately is Whitley’s vocals, a perfect blend of power and restraint that puts just enough emotion into each song but never too much. And the words. His lyrics are like poetry which beckon you to get lost in them and even when you don’t know the words they still seem familiar. The guitar playing was a delight too, with Whitley and his companion complimenting each other perfectly, not a note out of step.
Recent single My Heart is Not a Machine stood out, showing off the delicate beauty which made us take note of him in the first place but also showing a new found maturity as a songwriter; surely a memento from his travels to foreign lands. The stripped back approach suited the songs accordingly yet I couldn’t help but hope that he gets the full band together in the near future to really bring the songs to life. For the last few songs Whitley played accompanied solely by his guitar and then just as the hour was up, he was done, and the crowd slowly poured out of the band room and into the night.
Loved: The lyrics.
Hated: Not much.
Drank: Red wine.
