Lydia Cole and Stu Larsen

Waikato Times Review
What: Lydia Cole & Stu Larsen
Where: Victorian Garden Conservatory
When: Saturday February 21, 2009
Reviewed by: Rebecca Harper
Something about Lydia Cole and Stu Larsen on stage together fits like a glove.
They are at ease in each other's company and there's something warm and familiar about them as a musical duo.
Their quietly uplifting acoustic guitar session in the Victorian Garden Conservatory on Saturday evening was both touching and beautiful.
Aside from a broken string and some frustrating tuning issues - perhaps guitars and greenhouses don't go well - the pair delivered a polished performance that seemed to fly by.
Playing mostly original material, Cole recently released her EP Love Will Find a Way and Larsen spent most of last year touring Japan, New Zealand and Australia with his debut album Lies Will Keep You Out. They also wove in a few covers.
I particularly liked their version of Coldplay's Fix You, which I thought really showed off their voices.
Cole, 21, a songwriter from Auckland's North Shore, has been making a bit of a name for herself recently. She played at this year's Rhythm & Vines New Year's eve concert and also at Parachute.
Her clear and light melodies felt slightly whimsical and her words seemed to come from the heart. Her voice reminded me a bit of Jewel in her earlier days.
Larsen, from Australia, also impressed and a favourite was Swerve, which he wrote last year at Cook's Beach after playing at Parachute.
There's something a bit special about these two and they seem to complement each other.
I'm especially lookinf forward to seeing what Cole does next. She recently got funding from NZ on Air for a radio single and music video.

For more information, visit: http://www.myspace.com/lydiamusic