The Green Stage is big, and in a big area. ‘Intimate’ is not a word that frequently comes to mind when thinking of it. Many artists try to outsize themselves with visuals and flair and movement to compensate. Bialystocks, however, managed to bring you in and make the sprawling area feel small, to make the stage feel right in front of you even if you were near the treeline. They did this through sheer charisma and songwriting, not a small feat.

The set was suffused with a disarming earnesty. The songs themselves are very sentimental, and Sora Hokimono’s emotional delivery made them feel even more relatable. Go Kikuchi’s keyboards, however, provided the special sauce. His jazz inspired key work and harmonies gave the set the dreamy cinematic feel that helped set it apart from lots of other more conventional acts.

Each song also had movement and depth, not simply verse chorus verse but slowly building pop epics. The places where many songs started and ended were often very, very different, but the journey between them was gradual and almost imperceptible. Quiet songs would grow into great, large things, quick tempoed songs would take moments to pause and slow down. This allowed the highs, the guitar solos and soaring vocal lines, to shine in a special way.

On top of the artistry of this duo and their backing band, there was also no denying their musicianship. The whole band felt like a single unit, with no member overstaying their welcome. When flourishes like brass sections came in it felt natural and welcome, not egregious.

Mountain rain would ebb and flow throughout the set, something which for many other acts would be a nuisance. But for Bialystocks it only served to reinforce the closeness and warmth of the set.