Review: Rhye at The Palais

Joined by a full band of strings, bass, drums and keys, Mike Milosh works through hit songs from his critically acclaimed 2013 Rhye album Woman as well as the recently released Blood (2017). Combining elements of funk, RnB, pop and soul in the atmospheric setting of the Palais, Rhye’s  two hour set shows just how permeable genre constrictions can be.

Milosh’s smooth falsetto voice impresses as he sings about love, loss and longing in the melancholic electronic anthems 3 Days and Phoenix. His movements on stage, though minimal, fit perfectly with the off-beat and moody odes to his past and present love affairs. When the band play Please, the fourth track off Blood, the audience is encouraged to clap along to Milosh’s musings about desire and longing. This relatively stripped back arrangement provides a more visceral experience, as the band and Milosh rely less on theatrics and volume to connect and communicate with every corner of the Palais.

Turning the lights off completely for Open, Milosh wants to ensure that people can only hear his voice and really feel the sensual energy exuding from the darkness. It’s a move that ensures that the audience feel extremely connected with Milosh and the band, allowing them to experience Milosh’s offbeat, unconventional charisma and quiet self-assurance – perhaps even arrogance – which fit perfectly with this brand of music. Ending the set with Song For You, Rhye give a memorable farewell to the Palais audience with the city of Adelaide lit up right behind them.

Rhye performed at The Palais on Sunday, March 11

Header image:
Genevieve Medow Jenkins