Live Review: Spookyland, Yeevs

Yeevs opened Wednesday at Newtown Social club with post punk, shoegazing stylings clearly influenced by greats of the genre like Pixies and Ride.

Lead singer, Brad Cork, gave a captivating performance with his thunderous voice, at times adopting a touch of Americana twang and at others impressing with soaring vocals not out of place in any Australian alternative band.

The mood they presented was inconsistent and derivative at times, with some songs seeming disjointed. Having said this, this is perhaps more about the style of the music and less about the aptitude of the three performers. Yeevs play the sort of music suitable for a road trip through the desert and well worth a listen.

Spookyland took to the stage with an ominous vampiric soundtrack spinning as the band tuned up. The Sydneysiders took to the Newtown Social to showcase their debut album, Beauty Already Beautiful — an artful and offbeat look at the state of love, hate and life. 

What followed was an exploration into the heavier side of folk with amplified, delayed and extended chords and strumming patterns that sound out of place in a Bob Dylan tune.

In fact singer Marcus Gordon seemed to emulate Dylan and punk icon Lou Reed in his delivery, his lyric stylings and his tonality. That is, with an almost chipmunk-like voice — and that's with the utmost reverence — or perhaps, more appropriately, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum.

The high pitched dreamy vocals matched the sweeping bass lines provided by Nic Malouf, and marching drum beats from Nath Mansfield, along with the fuzzy rhythm guitar of Marcus' brother, Liam Gordon. 

Billed as 'solipsistic rock and roll', Marcus and the boys provided a singular experience with a certain verve that accompanies the exuberance of youth. This was all while Marcus weaved narratives with great weight and measure, seemingly beyond his years.