The Grates @ The Hi Fi,Melbourne (31/10/2011)

Mon 7th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Brisbane’s The Grates underwent a significant transition on their recently released third album, Secret Rituals. Led by the enigmatic ball of hyperactivity Patience Hodgson, the record speaks of a deeper current running through the now duet. There are serious bids on Rituals for moments of truly aching pop gems, which grants more than just dumb fun. The accolades and widespread attention are certainly in the post, but in the meantime I’m curious to see how the notoriously erratic stage show presents these little pop gifts.

Crashing into the set with a ballsy rendition of the now elderly Science Is Golden left a little to be desired, with Patience’ voice almost inaudible in The Hi-Fi’s conservative sound. It was quickly recovered though, with levels sorted out and the vocals warmed to storm it home. Like You Could Have It All was the first timid toe into the water for the newer material, which took two years to birth, including a well-documented stint searching for inspiration in NYC. There’s a palpable reticence to leap head-first into the new stuff by the band (still a 3-piece, with US import Ben Marshall replacing founding member Alana Skyring), with the safety blanket of 19-20-20 taking it back into the happy-happy-fun-time territory they earmarked early on as their own.

And it’s with some disappointment, then, that the new tracks get a bit buried among their decidedly juvenile forebears. Young Pricks and Change in the middle of the set are both raced through with nary a second glance, whilst cracker single Turn Me On highlights with no subtlety the constraints of a bass-less three-piece in the live setting.

And this is the crux of the stark difference between The Grates of old and The Grates who gave birth to something as developed and complex as Secret Rituals: it now requires more than just a bouncy chanteuse, a jangly guitar lick and a quirky beat to pull it off with real intent in the live setting. The songs seemed to be screaming out for an extra component; a second guitar or a keyboard line beyond what a stilted backing track could provide. Without it, the songs fell flat and were somewhat carried along by a very adoring crowd. In the end, it become a rather bland recitation of what are gorgeous pop tracks, as the band jumped back into that over-excited, hyperactive delivery which is surely reaching its use-by date.

That said, it’s not stale just yet, and if they hadn’t set the bar so high with such an accomplished recording, this set could have been a stand-out, with older tracks Trampoline and set closer Inside Outside both flag-bearers for the joyous pop which thrust the band above the pack. It’s somewhat of a shame, however, when listening to the new album on the way home proves to be the real highlight of the evening.