Warpaint, Jack Ladder, DonnieBenet @ Manning Bar, Sydney(28/07/11)

Fri 29th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

In the film clip to their standout song Stars, the four members of Warpaint are seen frolicking and dancing through woods lit up by fireworks and swirls of light. It’s ethereal and dreamy, as is their wont, but there are also moments when they look like they’re about to fall about laughing. It’s as good an introduction to their ambitious but approachable music as any: Let’s set the controls for the heart of the sun and set off through the cosmos in search of musical nirvana, it seems to say, but, hey, let’s not be too precious about it.

Another performer who will probably never be accused of taking himself too seriously is tonight’s opener, Donnie Benet. Sporting the dodgiest mustache this side of a Har Mar Superstar show and the kind of tacky disco jacket you laugh at in an op-shop, his music is a joyous and wholehearted embrace of ‘80s kitsch. With knowingly cheesy beats, dentist-drill keyboard and lyrical references to Lionel Richie, songs like She’s Too Much and Girls of Japan see him channel the spirit of Olivia Newton John’s Physical. While he is perhaps yet to write the killer song that will take him to the next level, only a grouch wold fail to be entertained by his thrift store pop songs and low-rent Lothario persona.

A far darker proposition is Jack Ladder, showcasing sombre new album Hurtsville. There’s always been a melancholy streak in his songwriting and these new tunes, less immediate and more atmospheric than previous work, push this darkness to the forefront, creating creepy, enveloping songs that use throbbing repetition to hypnotic effect. With his striking old bluesman’s baritone and unusual, giraffe-limbed stage presence, he makes for a pretty arresting frontman. Most songs occupy the same patch of slightly malevolent melancholy (Nick Cave is an obvious touchstone) but the title track sees him introduce some light and shade to good effect, moving more towards heartbroken crooner territory. Another highlight is Beautiful Sound, which seemingly reflects upon his newfound attraction to the dark side: “When the heart breaks it makes a beautiful sound”.

Curtains are drawn for headliners Warpaint, whose sheer joy in creating this music and in each other’s company is quickly clear. They’re the coolest girl gang in town and their sense of musical adventure makes for thrilling detours through dream-pop, shoegaze and three-part harmonies, often within the one song. Creating a heady atmosphere, the hazy Warpaint is an early highlight and is typical of the interlocking guitar lines and atmospherics that mark their best work. Undertow shows they can do melody as well as expansive guitar exploration, its tune haunting and washed out.

The killer one-two punch of Billie Holliday (introduced as a “song about a heroin addict, amongst other things”) and a sprawling version of Elephant is the highpoint and brings the warmly received set to an end. Emily Kokal returns to the stage solo for the affecting Baby, before a full band reunion for what turns into an extended (really extended) and sometimes aimless instrumental jam session which squanders momentum and sees audience members begin to wander off. It’s an odd anticlimax for a mostly impressive and likable show; there’s a reason why the phrase ‘Save your worst for last’ is rarely given as advice to young entertainers.