Live Review: Movement, Mansionaire

Sydney trio Movement have been riding the waves of success this past year with their unique blend of electro and RnB.

On tour in the States and Canada later this month in support of US songwriter Banks, the boys managed to slot in two sold-out, intimate gigs at the Newtown Social Club before their travels.

Fellow Sydney three-piece Mansionaire were in support, successfully holding their own against the popular headliners. Delivering an ambient set, the trio confidently glided through a short but fulfilling set of haunting ethereal sound. Their calling card, Hold Me Down was a very impressive end to the set and a good indication of bigger things to come for the trio.

Decked all in black with their solemn stage façade in place, Movement brought the goods to a packed and enthusiastic audience. A constant pulsating bass became the heartbeat of the night as vocalist Lewis Wade took control of the set, with his rich, soulful vocals becoming the real centrepiece of the show.

Us saw Wade crooning out in the best possible way, his voice intricately filtering through minimal, disjointed rhythms. Nostalgic track, Ivory, kicked up the tempo a little and allowed Wade a little more room vocally, his voice fitting in perfectly with the ‘90s house undertones of the song. At times it did feel like Movement were walking a very thin line between being influenced by bands and just outright replicating them.

On more than one occasion Control You eerily resembled a convoluted edit of The Xx’s Intro, and Wade seemed to mirror Sam Smith to an uncanny degree throughout the night. As time goes on it’ll be interesting to see the trio’s full creative potential when not so dependent on their musical inspirations, but all in all a genuinely enjoyable night of music that showcased two of Sydney’s most exciting, upcoming exports.