Friday night saw the weekend off to a relaxed start with a performance by Sarah Blasko and Luluc, at Melbourne Zoo Twilights. Any punters envisaging swaying to the music with wombats and penguins proved too optimistic – a lone meerkat and three giraffes were the only animals up and about as Blasko took to the stage, dressed in Melbourne’s unofficial uniform of all-black.

The indie-folk singer-songwriter sang mostly from her 2012 album I Awake. That soulful voice of hers has a rasping, yet strangely beautiful, quality. And the classic track Night and Day revealed a flicker of innocence, not unlike the songs of Feist. Throughout her music Blasko uniquely employs classical instruments like the harp, blending orchestral tones with a deep saxophone and pizzicato double base to create mellow pop gold.

As the sun started its descent the drums picked up, beating out her album’s titular single I Awake. Blasko threw her arms up and crooned to a full crowd, who were sprawled on the grass sipping sunset-themed cocktails. An emotional depth came through in dramatic love songs like All I Want, with vocals backed by haunting strings.

In an encore performance Blasko ended with crowd favourite We Won’t Run. Despite the sprawling space a truly intimate performance had been delivered.

Opening act Luluc made their own groove in the evening’s chilled-out vibes. Live, the Australian indie-folk duo brought a light touch and delicate beauty to songs like Tangled Heart. Their performance was humble, yet compelling, with the acclaimed Melbourne duo next seen touring with First Aid Kit in March.

• Sarah Blasko is supporting Paul Simon & Sting around the country and will also appear at Taronga Zoo, Sydney on 13 February