THERE seems to be core of Australian groups at the moment who have decided the psychedelic pop rock sounds of the 70s is their sound of choice. Whatever prompted this resurgence, it’s working for them. Tame Impala and Pond are two groups leading this charge, with Sydney’s Deep Sea Arcade following close behind. Listening to the ethereal sound of this five-piece band invokes visions of running through fields sporting long hair and tie-dye clothing. A crown of dandelions on your head is optional.
Taking the stage at XOYO they show they possess more than just a sway in the modern sound of choice as they mix it with upbeat tempo tunes. Playing at the end of XOYO’s ‘Breakout East’ night — a showcase of new and emerging talent — the venue is a tenth capacity. However it doesn’t stop the boys from punching through their songs with a professional edge and enthusiasm, which inspires a good chunk to the audience to create some questionable interpretative dance moves. It’s a demonstration of how much they really just love to play music, share their songs with the audience and create a floating vibe obviously born of countless jam sessions.
Playing predominantly from their new album Outlands, they blend the dreamy slowness of songs like “Girls” and “Granite city”, with others like “Steam” and “Lonely in your arms” kicking a more upbeat tempo. If you put Supergrass, the Kinks and the Beachboys in a blender you might get close to an idea of the sound, and it comes up trumps in a live setting. After also squeezing in old favourite “Keep on walking”, an outstanding cover of Chemical Brother’s “Let forever be” demonstrates the reach of their talent, and showed how a live band can transform into a cult dance classic into their own live set lovechild.
VERDICT: Great set by a band who inject upbeat fun into their performance.