Live Review: Architecture In Helsinki, World's End Press, The Harpoons

The Metro was filled with mix of dreamy disco, synth and strut – all the good things about modern Australian pop – on Friday night.

The Harpoons announced themselves as ones to keep an eye on with the breezy, earnest vocals of Bec Rigby, accompanied by a light R&B vibe and sweet harmonies on tracks like the swaggering Walk Away and the romantic Keep You Around.

World's End Press warmed a rapidly-filling room with their intense indie disco. Frontman John Parkinson exudes an irresistible rock'n'roll confidence and the crowd joined him in dancing to the pulsing To Send Our Love and the anthemic Drag Me Home.

A sunny version of a deep, spacey Massive Attack beat welcomed Architecture In Helsinki to the stage. It quickly morphed into the upbeat new single, The Future, which holds the hyperactive, addictive hallmarks of their original modern pop with a little more swirling subtlety this time around. The colourful stage held no outlandish decorations or animations, so animated are the music makers themselves.

Bright lights reflected in Cameron Bird's opaque, round sunglasses, which most would need just to take in his sunflower yellow suit. Kellie Sutherland, her hair bleached blonde, rocked a brightly-striped dress. It's no surprise their latest album, NOW+4EVA, spawned its own concept fashion store.

Ah, but the music. Another new track, Before Tomorrow, exhibited Motown funk, Sutherland whirling her arms in the air with contagious energy. Bird's serious manner was often at odds with his loud appearance, such as in the familiar strut of Everything's Blue.

Dream A Little Crazy, the first taste of the new record, came off as the ultimate triumphant party song with the three-piece brass team in full flight. Continuing the mood came 2007's raucous Hold Music. That album, Places Like This, is the epitome of joyous chaos – delivered tightly by the eight-strong line-up.

Tracks from their last record, 2011's dreamy Moment Bends, got a great reception and 2005's Do The Whirlwind was an emotional epic. Architecture even put their own synthy stamp on Jackie DeShannon's When You Walk In The Room, the '60s track made a classic by The Searchers (and which appears on NOW+4EVA), and turned Tame Impala's Feels Like We Only Go Backwards into a reggae daydream.

An ease within the band was evidence of their long history. Bird humbly spruiked the new clip coming out for I Might Survive: “If you're remotely interested in this band, you should check it out…” “Remotely interested?!” Sutherland teased. Everyone was interested, judging by the joy that met Heart It Races and That Beep, two favourites to round off a heart-racing show. If there's one thing these guys take seriously, it's fun.