Reviewed on Friday November 28
The Ocean Party officially launched their great new album Soft Focus at the Lansdowne on Friday night, an evening that featured one of the strongest lineups for local concerts I’ve seen in a long time. The gathered contingent of music enthusiasts witnessed four fresh, eager bands delivering tight sets that made a powerful case for each. Not bad for a free gig.
Melon Melon Melon opened, the newest of the four acts. Each member took turns playing various instruments, resulting in different musical styles. Pair that with the slightly off vocals, and it served as a nice reminder of the influence Beat Happening has on modern indie. While the songs themselves might not be quite there yet, Melon’s unique approach makes them a band to keep an eye on.
Make that triple for New Zealand’s Trust Punks. Their place on the bill coincided with an album launch of their own, and while the Discipline LP is an enjoyably energetic release in its own right, live the band is a revelation. With interweaving guitar lines, vocals delivered with conviction and dancey drum patterns that turned on a dime, they didn’t put a foot wrong. Unwound, Drive Like Jehu and the Kinsella brothers are their reference points. You don’t want to miss them next time they’re in town.
Day Ravies were next, and while they weren’t promoting anything and seemingly were just there to hang out with their muso friends, they delivered a great set all the same. With last year’s fantastic debut Tussle still fresh in everyone’s minds (or at least it should be), they played a crowd-pleasing set that featured the best of the album plus turbo-charged new single ‘Hickford Whizz’.
The Ocean Party closed the night with a strong highlight reel of Soft Focus and a couple of older tunes. Everything was placed perfectly in the mix, displaying a professionalism and control not often seen in Australian indie.
I always feel bad comparing new Australian bands with their contemporary American counterparts, more popular due to their adoption by various buzz blogs – and often because the Australian bands are better. So from now on, everyone should refer to Real Estate as being the American Ocean Party. Their laidback, feel-good indie tunes all got the crowd moving, acting like the alternate soundtrack to a John Hughes movie. It served as the perfect capper to a Friday night of incredibly high-calibre music.
