Chairlift @ The East BrunswickClub, Melbourne (07/02/2012)

Sat 11th Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

Hot on the heels of a successful Laneway set and the release of their sophomore album Something, Chairlift would hit up the East Brunswick Club to delight their Melburnian fans once more. Those in attendance were amongst the first in the world to receive a taste of the band’s latest material in a live environment, the show preceding a whirlwind tour.

Prior to the appearance of the headline act, however, Sydney-sider Elizabeth Rose would take to the stage for her second ever Melbourne gig. The enigmatic performer would impress instantly, commanding wonderfully meticulous compositions, each born from a deceptively simple station of keys, knobs and dials. In spite of initial cynicism, the sheer weight of live work (as opposed to prepared trickery) would appear indisputable, Rose tinkering and tampering like a mad scientist throughout her set.

Her endeavours often culminated in formidable trips, textures coagulating beautifully to invoke an array of diverse landscapes. You could easily imagine everything from desolate interstellar voyages to deep-sea expeditions. Highlight Throw Me To The Stars offered a slice of dreamy lo-fi electronica, its cute swagger evolving from a scratchy cinematic score. Pleasingly, Rose would illustrate merits beyond those of a mere whiz-kid with fancy contraptions, her voice igniting to compliment the work of her apparatus perfectly. She quickly emerged as a skilled songstress, imbuing her craft with an additional dimension beyond an explicit ambient focus.

Rose, who saw fit to plug her impending single launch, can rest assured that the song in question, Ready, proved a highlight of her support slot. Assuming the role as the most pop-tastic, hook-centric inclusion of the set, an engrossing finale unfolded. Overall, Elizabeth Rose was a masterful selection as support act for the evening, paving the way for Chairlift to swoop in and perhaps cast yet another spell over an already bedazzled crowd.

The Chordettes’ Mr.Sandman cued Chairlift’s arrival, though a strangely cold reception ensued. It would be up to the Brooklyn-based duo – in live formation as a four-piece – to impress an apparently stubborn crowd. Fortunately, they would be up to the challenge; their schizophrenic electronica – wildly imaginative yet undeniably catchy – soon winning the East Brunswick Club over. The beguiling Sidewalk Safari went a long way in electrifying the crowd early on, cute-as-a-button front woman Caroline Polachek leading the charge. The band’s next crucial obstacle to overcome would be Polachek’s indecipherable performance, her vocals muddied and buried beneath the band’s liquid ambience. To cite the conundrum as a shock departure from their slick studio work would have been an understatement. Fortunately, the problem would be resolved over time, allowing Chairlift to again rise to the occasion and Polachek’s falsetto coos to be heard at their enchanting best.

Throughout the set, the band indulged in a balancing act between a slew of straightforward pop grooves and their quirkier nuances. The strength of the band’s more recent material on show was commendable, Chairlift’s sophomore record Something impressive and performed with stunning cohesion despite still being very much in its road-testing phase live. Take It Out On Me emerged as a cool gem, its delicate keys glistening atop gentle synthesised waves, eventually surrendering to a dizzying bridge. Wrong Opinion exuded a similar allure, the chaotic crashing of bells shattering a gooey groove. All would be superseded by the more intense, urgent stretches of the set, however, the band at their best when allowed to kick into another gear. As such, the storming and insistent epic Met Before proved a notable treat among a rich tapestry of electro-pop performed to precision.

Overall, Chairlift surpassed initial concerns to stage a fairly bulletproof set brimming with 80s electro-pop nostalgia, with striking and faithful renditions of their recordings on offer. Their disarmingly cool and accomplished performance combined with the sweet after-thought of Elizabeth Rose’s support slot ultimately made for a blissful evening at the East Brunswick Club.