Live Review: Little Odessa

With this the second of three residency evenings, the energy and charisma of Little Odessa is undeniable, from frontman Marlon Hickey's dynamic vocal performance and interaction with the density of the dancing crowd. However, by the second song, there's evidence that each tune will be indistinguishable from the last. Their musicianship is tight, their consistency admirable, but that breezy '50s and '60s charm that's all the rage wears thin pretty quick. Covers of Good Golly Miss Molly, Elvis Costello and Tobacco Road highlight the gap between the band's aspirations and their present tense. Those classics have stronger hooks and a soul beyond the genre they belong to. When Little Odessa's work adheres to style so relentlessly, there needs to be something more than the shuffling beat and fast, riffing guitars.

Or does there? The crowd loves it. Hickey is all cheese and ego and rock'n'roll tropes, and he makes it work with his self-referential nods to the audience and genuinely playful sense of humour. Settling somewhere between a stylised American showman and a cussing Australian rock bloke, he occasionally falls over himself and the mood is that of a wedding band. Beneath the overuse of the phrases “ladies and gentlemen” and “rock'n'roll”, Hickey does have an extraordinary ability to engage the crowd.

As the night progresses Little Odessa overcome the dire expectation of sameness and there are fresh moments where the songs are more than just style. Witch has a garage sound, with thrashing guitars and genuine bite. Nigel is the highlight – the slowest but most evocative, swirling and pulsating, hitting in the heart and not just the hips. Single My Girl is the band's best Arctic Monkeys impression, an example of when they nail both style and substance, and is a clear crowd favourite. The mid-tempo-peppered second set is more forgettable; danceable but not frenetic like the first, though the sizable crowd is still enthusiastic. Tale of heartbreak, Angela, is on par with the best from earlier, and Girl You Want is then the band's best Hives impression, wearing their classic and modern influences on their sleeve. New single It's About Time once again matches songwriting strength with style, as does closer, All Night. It's an evening of fun and dancing, though the band is most exciting when they bring more to the table than well-worn conventions of rock'n'roll.