Grouplove, The Head and theHeart @ Factory Theatre,Sydney (03/01/2012)

Wed 11th Jan, 2012 in Gig Reviews

Arcade Fire’s No Cars Go is repeatedly played in its entirety over the Factory Theatre P.A. system for the ten minutes preceding Seattle six-piece The Head and the Heart’s set. It’s a rather fitting prologue for the band, as they are quite overtly influenced by the Montreal Grammy winners, evident not only in the instrumentation and arrangements of their upbeat indie folk tracks, but also in their stage presence. Guitarist Josiah Johnson and violinist Charity Rose Thielen spend the majority of the 40-minute set flailing joyously around the stage in a manner akin to that of Richard Reed Parry. With that in mind, it would be easy to pigeonhole The Head and the Heart as just another derivative indie folk outfit, but such a label would be unwarranted, as the group’s three-person harmonies and unique melodic structures set them apart from their peers. Set highlights include the singalong-worthy Ghosts and the anthemic set closer Rivers and Roads. With performances of this calibre, it’s safe to say that the next time we see The Head and the Heart, they could well be headlining this very venue.

Headliners Grouplove have far less in common with their choice of entrance music – Kanye West’s Monster. Opening with Don’t Say Oh Well – a cut off the band’s eponymous 2010 EP – the audience is immediately assaulted by the Californian quintet’s excessively optimistic brand of lively indie pop, as well as their seemingly haphazard fashion choices. Lovely Cup receives a rousing reception from the largely teenage audience, though it is Itchin’ on a Photograph – the opening track to the group’s debut album Never Trust a Happy Song – that brings the audience fully into motion. A poor mix at times leads to unintelligible stage banter and muffled vocals, but the crowd’s insistence to scream every lyric back at the band alleviates most of the sound issues.

Introduced by Hannah Hooper as her “stoner song”, Naked Kids combines Best Coast-style melodies and lyrics with synth-pop instrumentation to create a genuinely unique piece of summery surf-pop. The track is one of the many highlights of the set, and the first example of Hannah Hooper stealing the show. Despite vocal duties being shared equally amongst all band members (except for drummer Ryan Rabin), it is Hannah who truly shines as frontwoman. She demands attention through her captivating stage presence and agreeable yet commanding voice, most evident on Slow – a track which creates an eerily tranquil atmosphere when performed live, thanks mostly to Hooper’s haunting vocal delivery. The performance takes a strange turn towards the end of Slow, when two roadies drag an oversized blank tapestry canvas onto the stage, on which the entire audience remains fixated as Hooper proceeds to draw what appears to be a rather abstract self-portrait. It’s moments like this that cement Grouplove’s position as superior live performers to artists of similar standing.

Grouplove vacate the stage after just fifty minutes, before returning for a predictable two-song encore, consisting of the band’s biggest hits Tongue Tied and Colours. Though blatantly uninspired, the encore provides a satisfying end to a thoroughly enjoyable performance from a band that will surely continue to grow in status over the coming year. Grouplove’s return after the release of album number-two will be eagerly awaited by many, and hopefully accompanied by a more fleshed-out set.