A showery Sunday night at Spectrum is not usually where one would first go to seek some musical magic. But when the band playing are brimming with wide-eyed enthusiasm from making their first foray east, well, even the looming working week can’t rain on this parade. The Autumn Isles are your – œclassic’ guitar pop band in that they deftly shape and craft their songs with seemingly timeless hooks and infectious melodies. The bands have been receiving all manner of positive press, a third straight WAMI Pop Song of the Year nomination and they made the top ten of the Wireless Bollinger – œAustralian Bands to Watch’ on the strength of their two self-released EPs.

On CD, the songs have an assured and almost meticulous sheen to them. What was most impressive about the Autumn Isles’ live set, was their ability to effortlessly play such well-honed songs and also create an engaging performance. The tunes arrive all bright and sunny with chiming guitars, swirling keyboard lines, hand claps and even a cheeky dose of cowbell. The vocals are delivered as if they are another vital instrument in the mix as well providing some thought-provoking material. The sparing, but dashingly effective, use of harmonies and backing vocals add even more lustre to the mix and when the guy and girl inflections intertwine it’s a pretty darn sweet.

The Autumn Isles have a bucket-load of great songs at their disposal, with most played this evening. You can certainly see what all the “Next Big Thing” fuss is about as their tunes are delivered with such warmth that they become addictive from the very first listen. The music proves so persuasive that there was even some utterly un-self-conscious swing dancing broke out amongst the particularly receptive crowd. I daresay they will be playing Sydney again and in a bigger venue next time.