Live Review: Dick Diver, Milk Teddy, Free Time

There's pretty high pressure at the Tote tonight with tickets selling out in advance and an intimidating line-up. Openers for the night Free Time are a ridiculously laid-back garage four-piece whose chordy, lo-fi sound and prominent base hooks pack out the Tote band room within minutes. Lead vocalist and guitarist Dion Nania seems endearingly amateur between songs, explaining that they picked “all the hard songs first”. However, the band launches into complete precision when performing their accessible indie-pop songs.  While some are slow and meandering, others are upbeat and poppy. They're the perfect openers for the jangly Dick Diver.

Milk Teddy manages to pack out the room even further. This psychedelic five-piece has an atmospheric sound that incorporates reverb and a heavy use of Wah pedal, integrated into long instrumental sections and floating melodies. Thomas Mendelovits is a unique vocalist with his wailing, borderline androgynous vocals double mic'd and penetrating clearly through the sound of the thoroughly well-balanced band. Milk Teddy have a new-age, shoegaze feel, one with a resonant sound like a whale call.

If Milk Teddy were packed, headliners Dick Diver are well and truly at capacity tonight at the Tote. They're here tonight launching their second album Calendar Days and the atmosphere is bubbly. If one thing's clear about this catchy indie-pop outfit, it's that no one member is the star. The four members are multi-talented musicians, frequently switching instruments and taking turns leading the vocals and charming the crowd with their friendly and awkward banter. They create a casual atmosphere and completely lack pretence; guitarist Ru Edwards accepting some red lipstick and cracking cheesy jokes, and drummer Steph Hughes demanding a Bacardi Breezer.

For Calendar Days, the title track, Hughes takes up the guitar and leads the vocals with guitarist Al McKay on drums. Hughes' Australian accent, as with the majority of the songs, rings through with a comforting reminder of the proficiency of our very own local music. It's a melodic highlight and a demonstration of the band's clear, bright sound, as well as a great combination of the band members' vocals, alternating leading and backing and intertwining well. During Boys, another highlight, bassist Al Montfort leads the vocals and Edwards' takes up the bass. Montfort jokingly swings his microphone like a crooner with his laid-back vocals reminiscent of Lou Reed.

After the set ends, to the dismay of every person in the room, any lingering fans might have caught three of the band members doing a casual celebratory group hug as the audience spilled out of the Tote. You can't not fall in love with Dick Diver. Overall it was an amazingly consistent bill with the expected standard not only met but far exceeded.