All I knew of Sarabeth Tucek before her gig at the Water Rats was that she opened for Bob Dylan and performed on a Brian Jonestown Massacre album. This may have dialed up the expectations a notch but luckily I wasn’t wholly disappointed.

It was an austere atmosphere that evening, with everyone’s attention on Sarabeth.
Dwarfed by the puffy shoulders of her black outfit, she started strongly with Something For You. Garnering the sort of critical fondness that should leave one skeptical, it however bears repeat listening. Her voice is given centre stage here, caressing the lyrics alongside an easy guitar strum. A bittersweet attack on an ex-lover, it’s disarmingly subtle but clear in the fact that she has 'left long before you were gone'.

Devoid of witty quips or playful banter, Sarabeth’s enigmatic stare coupled with the odd sly smile gave the chanteuse a somewhat bashful charm on stage. Discreetly backed by a three-piece band of keyboard/ harmonica player, drummer and a guitarist (who provided some excellent riffs when required) allowed Sarabeth full license to display her precise, smoky vocals on slow burners such as Holy Smoke and Hey You. The song Come Back Balloon’s elegiac turn did lend some monotony to the proceedings that was saved by clever introductions of the harmonica.

The blithely ironic Nobody Cares was a welcome pop tinged piece with fun drums and guitars acting as a one-two punch to the preciousness of the feeling that other people really care as much as you do. Her relatively newcomer status was exposed in the encore performance. Admitting that she pretty much exhausted her material for the night, she nevertheless was game for two more songs. A Neil Young cover and a new song that I presume may see the light of day soon. On Myspace that is.

Sarabeth’s voice is her greatest strength. It evokes Cat Power, Karen Carpenter and Beth Orton, but with a clarity that is undeniably hers. While her set was close to monotony and at times restrained, the talent on display was undeniable. A slightly more emphatic performance could add a lot to the understated Sarabeth Tucek.