Belles Will Ring, Guineafowl,Magnetic Heads, The Messengers@ EBC, Melbourne (03/12/2010)

Thu 9th Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

A thinly populated East Brunswick Club on a balmy Melbourne evening played host to Blue Mountains psychedelic popsters Belles Will Ring, who were celebrating the release of their new EP, Come North With Me Baby, Wow. Yet the Belles only told part of the story on the night, headlining an impressively diverse four-band bill that also included Melbourne blues merchants The Messengers, and Sydney bands Magnetic Heads and Guineafowl.

Clearly influenced by Exile on Main Street-era Rolling Stones, The Messengers got the party started with a lively set of rollicking blues. Their talented lead guitarist impressed many with a number of solos, as did their lead singer, who combined vocal duties with the keys that drove most tracks, particularly the stomping Whiskey and Wine. A collection of loose-limbed punters were particularly fond of The Messengers’ brand of blues and energetically danced throughout their set.

Magnetic Heads, who recently released their own EP You Will Tear Down Everything That Stands In Your Way, may have been more on the new-wave tip but similarly wore their influences on their sleeve. Their jangly sound illustrated a fondness for Talking Heads, The Cure, The Church and even early REM, and the building audience seemed particularly impressed with the boppy Blind, with Des Miller’s effortless vocals framed by chiming guitars.

Guineafowl supplied the most ambitious sounds of the night, but they were also the least affecting. He and his five-piece band performed very grand and very loud electro-pop with admirable gusto, but the songs all sounded a little similar. In saying that, the shimmering In Our Circles was very, very good.

Belles Will Ring added another musical shape to the night with a set of brooding psychedelic pop. At their best, they created dark and atmospheric rhythms, evoking a sweltering and boundless American desert. This sound was no more evident than on their opening tune, The Coldest Heart, with its ominous twang, and the equally groovy recent single Come To The Village.

After a suite of darker numbers, the Belles let a little light in with Songs On The Avenue and Old Man Tomorrow. The latter saw keyboardist Lauren Crew assume lead vocal duties and flute, and Songs On The Avenue was in the mould of classic 60s pop. While these songs were a little slower, they retained the moody edge that is the band’s best quality.

New single Come North With Me Baby, Wow was probably the most disappointing tune on the night, as it didn’t feature the punch and vibrancy that made their other numbers so good. While it is a nicely put together pop song, it lacked guts and felt too upbeat. It was too poppy and generic, lacking the moodiness that sets them apart.

Nevertheless, they ended on the same powerful note on which they started, with a delightfully dirty guitar duel between lead vocalist Liam Judson and lead guitarist Aidan Roberts on the pounding Mad Love. It was enough to leave those in the room looking forward to Belles Will Ring’s forthcoming second album, which is due out in early 2011.