Project Description

MALLRAT

+ NINAHIRAJI + EILISH GILLIGAN

@ JACK RABBIT SLIM’S

(Live review)

16/06/18

Reviewer: Vicky Hebbs 

.

.

.

Mallrat AKA Grace Shaw has ascended quickly, releasing one great tune after another since she was so inspired by an all-ages Allday concert that she went home and recorded her first song. She released her debut EP, Uninvited, in 2016 and recently released EP In The Sky, featuring the already hugely popular songs UFO and Better. Tonights show has sold out and I couldn’t be more excited. Ninahiraji and Eilish Gilligan set the tone with their ethereal music styles and light synth.

Mallrat has a very unique stage presence. She is not a performer who moves around the stage much, staying mostly in one spot, but her cheeky grin and sparkly face makeup are captivating. She has one of the most beautiful and enchanting voices I have ever heard, smooth and chilled and lingering all at once, especially unique since she is just eighteen.

.

.

Mallrat tours with her DJ and best friend, Denim; the pair look adorably happy and at ease performing together and Mallrat thanks Denim for being up there with her. They have a backdrop video montage of ‘90s and early 2000’s playing constantly constantly, with clips of actors such as Angelina Jolie and classic children’s TV show, Arthur. The whole stage setup is very nostalgic and warming. This blends in really well with the tone of songs like Better, which feel so bittersweet and comforting at the same time.

She jokingly introduces her first release, Suicide Blonde, as “a teen emo song.” Released when she was just sixteen, it is a moodier track than her others, showcasing the capacity of her voice to smash deeper notes. You can hear the origins of her other songs distinctive backbeats and catchy lyrics.

Texas is deceptively exhilarating, moving from lullaby to party tune in a synth blast. Next is UFO, the hit track Mallrat recorded with her music idol-turned friend Allday; how incredible it is for a musician still so new to touring to get to collab with one of her music heroes. The track incorporates a tripping beat and Mallrat explores throatier vocals and a darker sound.

For a lot of people, myself included, Better may be the Mallrat song that drew their attention to her music. The uplifting tune rose to Number 46 in the Triple J Hottest 100 last year. It has a seamless dreamy quality and her voice is so mesmerising you feel like you’re floating on a cloud.

.

.

Inside Voices has a fresh, bouncy beat and achingly relatable lyrics. Next up is a cover of Outkast’s Hey Ya. While I’m not sure it is the strongest song choice, the guitarist Mallrat brings on stage for the last few numbers adds a nice acoustic twist.

On For Real, the fast-paced clicking and drumbeat offset the chilled-out vibe of her lyrics and intonation.

Rather than leaving the stage and returning for an encore, Mallrat announces this will be her last song. Uninvited is clearly one a lot of people have been waiting for, judging by the excited whooping when Denim drops the song’s starting ‘boop’ noises. Many of the sound effects in Mallrat’s music sound like those from Mario Bros. and other classic games, adding to the nostalgia vibe. The bass is insane; the whole venue reverberates with its intensity and the vibration of people jumping up and down to the chorus.

Mallrat isn’t onstage for as long as many artists – after all, she only has eleven songs – but there isn’t a moment I don’t believe she is something truly special.

.

Connect with MALLRAT!