Jade Macrae and Sierra Fin at The Vanguard, Sydney

Band: Jade Macrae and Sierra Fin
Venue: The Vanguard, Sydney
Date: 22nd November 2007
Reviewed By: Dane Hodges. Special thanks to our friends at Moon Unit Underground

Along with The Basement and Will & Toby's, The Vanguard remains one of the classiest live venues in Sydney , and consistently provides first-rate entertainment for its patrons. Particularly pleasing is the venue's commitment to uncovering new talent, and Sierra Finn are no exception. A highly skilled musical duo, they provide adult pop with bite, hooky yet sophisticated. Lazy comparisons to Coldplay are
inevitable, however there is something distinctly Australian in their approach that distinguishes them from their peers; acoustic ditties such as 'Blue Day Sun' could have been written for Pete Murray (yes, that's meant as a compliment). Elsewhere, the duo's grand piano ballads such as 'Circumstance and Coincidence' (their Coldplay moment, no question) allowed them to show some flair, with the work of Russ on the piano recalling a young Ben Folds. Vocally, his crisp voice at times recalled Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics. While they are not yet entirely comfortable on stage, and have a limited stage presence, the audience nonetheless warmed to them, and
by the end of their set were very responsive to what may be Australia 's next big thing.
You might not hear them on 2Day FM, but therein lies their strength.

The first thing you notice about Jade Macrae when she appears on-stage is her undeniable stage presence; she is sexier, sassier in the flesh than one would imagine, and is very at home in front of an audience. However, for all her appeal, musically she is not yet in the same league as the American soul divas she seems so intent on
competing with, as was evident in her lacking rendition of Beyonce's 'Work It Out'.
Fresh from a songwriting trip to the States for her new album 'Get Me Home', Jade was in fine form vocally, and was backed by an impressive set of musicians. Ultimately though moments like 'Shine Like A Diamond', which has instant radio potential, were few and far between, separated by generic R&B ballads that, on first listen, didn't
pack the punch they needed to. Curiously missing from the setlist was 'So Hot Right Now', her biggest hit to date; the familiarity of the tune could have renewed some audience interest. No question she is one of Australia 's most promising R&B talents, but she still has a way to go before she can give Alicia Keys and co. a run for their money.