On balance opening band The Salvadors are a pretty solid live act, which considering the recent line up changes and singer Tom Opie’s throat surgery, is somewhat admirable. Their sound varied a little at times but was at its best when merging delicate vocals with soft arpeggios and smooth bass runs. In these moments the band appeared to be the ideal match for Oh Mercy The fantastic bass brought the mix alive with more of a 70’s edge, providing the vibe of the sound.

However, the band’s American influences are so profound it’s a little off putting. There’s so much Kings of Leon about in the sound, Opie doesn’t just have an affected southern US vocal style he’s literally adopted Caleb Followill’s own quirks and mannerisms. And if this is actually unintentional then we’ve got some kind of strange vocal doppelganger case on our hands. Having said that, aside for a need for some finessing on a few harmonies, the band is tight, have a great warm sound and should build on recent Triple J airplay.

Oh Mercy’s live sound catered to Alexnder Gow’s beautiful vocal texture whilst building upon some sublime countrified jazz chords nestled above an uncomplex but effective rhythm section. The band had a bit of a dreamy sound at times with Gow’s silky near-falsetto vocals essentially serving as the band’s signature sound. The mix was further punctuated by some excellent lead guitar work with the occasional harmony working to great effect for the most part. Arrangements weren’t always perfect with some redundant guitar parts leading to some thinning out of the sound, but then these were counterbalanced by some sublime lead chord work.

The band’s country and folk influences are evident but don’t stop them from having their own sound, with Gow easily one of the best singers in the current Australian music scene. As expected Get You Back was the pick of the set and capped off a great night. With one of best opening riffs in recent Australian rock history, the song took the whole night up a level which is fitting for the final number. The set didn’t blow everyone away. There were some suggestions by others in the audience that after a point the songs seemed to merge. But essentially some bands have a certain sound and for mine, the one Oh Mercy has settled upon really works for them.