Little Scout, Millions, InlandSea @ Alhambra Lounge,Brisbane (26/08/2011)

Mon 29th Aug, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Brisbane’s music scene is tight. So much so that heading along to the debut album launch for local favourites Little Scout at the Alhambra Lounge in Fortitude Valley feels like being invited to a party where you don’t know anyone. There’s other up and coming muso’s and Triple J presenters floating about, and every conversation opens with “yes well I know blah blah blah though blah blah blah who used to play in a band with blah blah blah…” and so on. It gives the event a charmingly grounded feel; people aren’t here because they’ve heard of Little Scout and think they’ll be pretty good, they’re here because they know Little Scout, and they know they’re going to be great.

Singer Alastair McRae and guitarist Jeremiah Hunter are the only two members of ten- piece Inland Sea to fill the band’s support slot for the evening, swapping lush folk for a rugged acoustic set that easily channels early Birds of Toyko. The chemistry between the acoustic and electric guitars blends beautifully, and the two build momentum as the crowd starts to fill out. McRae delivers mostly solo material which is a disappointment to those familiar with the band’s gorgeous debut EP Traitor, but equally serves as a testament to the versatility he will surely bring to the band’s future work.

Local buzz band Millions took their repertoire of slick garage pop tunes all the way to Splendor In The Grass last month after winning Triple J’s Unearthed competition, and they’ve come back with their heads held high. It takes them no time to capture the crowd’s attention, and the command they hold over their material is infectious. Their allocated half an hour coasts by far too quickly for my liking, culminating with the radio ready Those Girls, a killer tune that flirts with surf rock and The Strokes-inspired indie pop. It’s the kind of set that will inspire anybody in the audience who’s not in a band to start one. Gold.

Little Scout put out their first EP The Dead Loss back in 2008, following it up a year later with Different in the Distance and a full schedule of opening slots for artists like Belle and Sebastian, The New Pornographers, Holly Throsby, Cloud Control and Jens Lekman to name a few. Tonight it’s time for the petite band to step out alone in support of their debut album Take Your Light, a collection of sweeping pop melodies which are all beautifully crafted and make for a joyous live experience. They open with new tune In The Air, and hit the high notes on They Were Found In A House and older tracks Paper Aeroplanes and the great Dead Loss. Sisters Melissa and Kirsty Tickle share lead singer duty, and are both equally matched in their spotless vocal delivery. The band behind them is solid, tight and completely in tune. All the elements for a great live performance are there, and they’re glowing.

But something is missing from tonight’s show. The whole band is so damn charming I want to take them home to meet my mother. They thank the audience for their applause, they’re ever so sweet when they tell us where we can buy the album, they even spruik their friend’s cookbook and dedicate a song to another friend’s birthday. But their set only lights a fire, it doesn’t burn a hole in the indie pop mould they so perfectly fit. Nevertheless, the audience is enamoured by them, all swaying along in a twee induced daze. The sisters end on current single We Are Walking Out, a nice end to a nice set. They certainly gave enough tonight; I just wanted them to give a little more.