The usually darkened corners of The Zoo are lit tonight, illuminating the visual art displayed by local artists. It’s a neat addition to a fine line-up of acts kicked off by the dreamy and anthemic strains of Allthingslost. Anchored around vocalist and synth player Abraham Tilbury’s performance, the rhythm section creates solid grooves, melodic guitar lines lifting the choruses. The songs are structurally unsure at times, and some feel underwritten. The sound however is confident and engaging, if at times a little monotonous. The guitarist mysteriously leaves the stage halfway through the set, though the band seem unfazed and carry on regardless.
Malo Zima are all colour and energy following the spacey Allthingslost. Led by the diminutive and feisty frontwoman, Amela Duheric, the five-piece get the crowd dancing to their infectiously fun indie-rock. Duheric’s voice is the real treasure though, rich and beautiful, swooping high and low across the melodies. The slower tracks in the set lack the intensity of the first half’s performance and loses the crowd’s attention. This is remedied by a killer final song, packed with groove and drama.
Raucously loud and boasting impressive heads of hair, Baskervillain open with an onslaught of harmonica-drenched rock. Each song is more fun than the last, with psychedelic jams in one, ‘60s harmonies in another and some ‘90s fuzzed-out introspection to round it out. They are entertaining, with a tight enough performance to let the right amount of wildness out.
Launching their single, Pentimento, tonight, Foxsmith aren’t sure if they want to seduce you, make you laugh or make you cry. Maybe they want to do all three. The set is a mix of moodiness and wry humour, in both the songwriting itself and the use of video projections. Earlier songs like highlight, Collarbones, show the band’s darker and sexier sounds, underpinned by melodic bass lines and elegant guitar riffs., though the drums could afford to be a touch looser to groove more, and experiments in guitar tone could really elevate these songs.
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The second half of the show plays more to the playful pop side of the band. The vintage comedy skits screened during Little Creatures synchronise well with the offbeat tune and add a dose of humour. Previous single, Wake Up, wants to get the crowd moving, though always feels like it needs to be about five BPM faster. Pentimento is a return to the darker side of the band, and again shows the strength of the instrumental hook-writing of the four-piece. The accompanying video clip to the single is unfortunately not screened during the performance, but it doesn’t detract from what is a great offering of local talent.
