The Owls have Eyes
Dan Blundell

The first thing that struck me upon entering a crowded Zoo was the girl jumping around centre stage like a five year old on ecstasy.

Far from the forlorn starlet of Closure, Brooke Addamo (aka Owl Eyes) was a bouncing fountain of presence and joy on Friday night. And with a brand new, début album hitting the streets not one month ago, and an Australia wide tour in full motion, well, why the heck not?

Despite her buoyancy, it was a belting, whisper touched voice that wooed an unusually age diverse crowd that night. Where the oldies came from, I don't know. Perhaps the Spandeau Ballet-esque synth on Triple J lured them out to play in a bounce pit of nostalgia. Maybe they were nursing broken hearts over lost votes and high hopes at the Idol beginning of Brooke's career.

Or perhaps, what brought our venerable elders into the cold heart of the Valley, was the kind of rock solid pop production so rarely seen in an era that lets Pitbull on the Radio. There is no denying that Brooke's sultry vocals won the crowd. But with an anachronistic keyboard, and some powerful kicks to low light Owl Eye's highs, it was the band as much as her that brought the fire. And that's not to downplay B. It's a testament to the heat.

Owl Eyes is currently traversing Australia on her Nightswim tour.