Live Review: Songs, The Terrible Truths

It's after 10pm on a balmy Saturday night, Workers Club's band room is scattered with a reasonable number of punters eager to once again experience some live music. It's not a huge crowd, which might be disappointing for some bands, but seemingly not The Terrible Truths. The Adelaide trio don't seem to care (or notice the lack of attention being paid to them by their audience. It's a somewhat awkward set, but one that offers a couple of highlights, especially toward its end. Singers Rani Rose and Stacey Wilson trade instruments and vocal duties, and The Terrible Truths' sound transcends from new wave to a much more enjoyable summery vibe.

Stilted and stark, some punctuation between songs in the form of any sort of crowd interaction would be welcomed; instead the only interactions from the stage are requests for more/less foldback from their sound guy up the back. After only 20 minutes the words, “This is our last song, thanks,” are spoken, which is very surprising.

Whether it be to the front bar, the dining room, the beer garden or elsewhere on Gertrude Street, the opportunity to relax for a solid half hour is enjoyed by all. When returning to the band room though, in all its faux-ski chalet glory, one thing is most noticeable: the size of the crowd. While by no means bursting at the seams, the room looks to be three-quarters full, with plenty of punters obviously eager to catch Sydney band Songs and support them as they launch their second full-length album, Malabar.

While their band name may result in some very frustrating online searches, one thing is for sure: Songs are worthwhile. Lead singer Max Doyle's vocals are poignant without being melodramatic, and keep the tempo of the band's music from ever dragging. Bassist Ela Styles and drummer Ben James keep the rhythm bouncing, and lead guitarist Cameron Emerson-Eliot's fretboard finger work draws every pair of eyes to him for minutes at a time.

The new album gets a solid workout, lead single Boy/Girl a particular highlight. Looking Without Seeing, Ever Since The Time and Malabar's title track are also lapped up by the crowd, but Songs throw in a smattering of tunes from their earlier album and EPs just to keep everybody guessing. Songs' lack of between-song banter is barely noticeable such is their brand of honest, genre-straddling music. From FM-friendly pop rock and post-punk, to alt.country and stoner rock, this band is in no danger of being pigeonholed. Instead, their comfortable stage presence and genuine enthusiasm, not to mention serious volume, has everyone in the room excited about just how far Songs will go in 2013 and beyond.