Live Review: Twin Lakes, North Arm

Sydney-via-Newcastle act North Arm played a good set. For the uninitiated, you could group them in with dream-rock acts like Real Estate, The War On Drugs or even Interpol at their most wistful and laidback.

The stiff-backed rhythmic structure is sanded right down by the rich atmospherics and nocturnal melodies. The lack of a crowd in the OAF gallery bar allowed for a little extra reverb, and it suited the music nicely – a glass-half-full scenario. Rod Smith’s vocals weren’t bad, but what sounds hushed and haunting on record sounds slightly warped and scratched up close. It still had the desired effect though, and in their fuller, lusher moments Smith pushed himself and it sounded better.

Newcastle group Twin Lakes are becoming more refined every time they play. Eddie Garven continues to outshine more seasoned (and more well-known) performers with his incredibly unique and nuanced voice, and as a band their songwriting chops are not to be underestimated.

There’s not much to say about their set beyond the obvious; it was a generous helping of swooning folk rock that was polished and tight. They dipped and swayed through their own mahogany-hued catalogue as well as hitting some nice covers (Bon Iver and The Verve) along the way.
Those of you considering New Year’s resolutions at this time of year, how ‘bout this ol’ chestnut: see more live music! The bar was empty, yet this was a quality little line-up. It’s easy to feel like venues are closing faster than they open and that festivals are sucking up your cash, but there are still plenty of bands to see and places to see them for next to nothing, and good ones like these shouldn’t be playing to empty rooms on a Friday night in Sydney. Just sayin’.