The music had a definite pop feel, evoking influences from The Kinks and other English bands of that era, which is not surprising considering Justin originally hails from the motherland (evident through his sense of humour in between-song banter). Filling out the roster was a relaxed Robin (The Boat People) playing the keys, among other things such as the melodica, slide whistle and kazoo, Evan proficient with the electric guitar, Cate providing some nice offsetting female vocals in addition to flute, tambo and the like, Sven and Sven's wild faces to accompany his drumming, and Grant on bass patrol. Together they provided the afternoon's entertainment including Casual User which grabbed me as a very catchy number for my first listen, and the jangly Alopecia that translated very well live also. Thoroughly enjoyable was the chorus of backing vocals emanating from Cate, Robin and Evan that in a way reinforced Justin's lead and gave the songs an airy dimension, not to mention something to sing along with. However there is also a depth to the music and writing going beyond the surface pop feel, as evidenced on Lost Afternoons. This number saw the addition of Lee on violin which wasn't the only reason that this song really hit its mark. It felt fleshed out and full with the instrumental breakdown through which Sven was a delight to watch bash away. Closer, Monday Morning, had an interesting-in-a-good-way feel that I couldn't quite nail down, but had something to do with the one note Evan was bending each time through.
A promising set for this band that is finding solid footing in preparation for their album release. Based on this performance I'm quite excited to hear the recording in full and then catch another live performance with more familiarity with the material. Unfortunately the 20 hour flight could prove prohibitive, but that's just a detail to be worked out in this band's bright future.
