Some good, some bad, some plain miserable. Getintothis’ Will Fitzpatrick takes heart from a barnstorming By The Sea who continue to make waves at Liverpool Sound City.
To kick things off, we’re ‘treated’ to Brisbane quintet Last Dinosaurs, who seem understandably glum about the scant attendance for their set. Don’t feel too bad about missing the Antipodean Hard-Fi, however. Not if you have taste. Or ears.
The Grande‘s blast of harmony-laden alt.country is much more soothing, illuminating a similarly-sparse Leaf. Granted, they’re probably not many people’s top tip for Sound City, but there’s a delectable quality to their songwriting that’s worth investigation. And they have a pedal steel player too. Awesome.
Bleeding Heart Narrative are a little different.
Which isn’t to say they’re ‘interesting’ or ‘good’ or any of the positive adjectives you might associate with ‘different’ – it sorta sounds like they’ve listened to Arcade Fire, thought ‘hey, this could be dulled up a bit’ and really gone for it.
Infinitely better are local shoegazers By The Sea. Unconcerned by trivial notions like stage presence (staying true to their spiritual forebears, natch), they offer one of the most absorbing, textured sets of the night.
Which is more than can be said for the Americana-tinged guff of Fossil Collective. All immaculate harmonies and eminently forgettable songs, they’re nowhere near as fascinating as their bass player’s pony tail. Which can fuck off too.
Pictures by Sakura Zilla.
