On a Friday night in the middle of Perth Festival, Nilufer Yanya serenaded this activated city with her hazy pop. The night commenced with local act Little Guilt opening the stage. Fresh out of the studio, their dreamy crisp vocals cut through the wind and stood the test of a live audience.
Nilufer’s sound is sometimes characterised as lyrically anxious, however her stage presence is anything but. She stands on that stage as if it were an extension of her own body, or as if she always lived there. It quickly became obvious that performing comes naturally. A casual confidence overcomes her.
Her music feels like the soundtrack of road trips that I haven’t been on yet, of memories that are yet to be lived. Despite not listening to her music beforehand, it became immediately familiar as soon as I heard it. My imagination ran wild as the sound caressed every ridge of the corrugated iron exterior walls of the power station. Fluttering guitar riffs carry the listener through the stories told by her soulful voice. It’s a sound that hovers on the cusp of several planes simultaneously.
Nilufer’s understated cool against the power station backdrop felt like a revelation that has been reaching the masses lately. This unassuming city has intrigue and culture, obvious to those who are paying attention.