Reviews

Beneath the surface, the band has used its infectious music and detailed storytelling to explore some much darker concepts. It’s a captivating album that deserves closer inspection.

While offering consistently pleasant and dreamy summer-tinged tunes, Smith Westerns will not blow minds with Soft Will, and could have afforded a few more risks in songwriting and arrangement.

Hopefully punters will show their support to the Old Bar and other live music venues this winter, especially when amazing, energetic line-ups such as tonight’s are billed.

Drummer Dan Lucchesi is pretty much a genius. He produced the record and also contributes a hefty amount of vocals while drumming.

Perhaps most impressive though is how Wainwright manages to swing her hips so wildly, whilst keeping her guitar perfectly still and singing at the same time.

While the group provide fuller arrangements, we miss out on Khan and BBQ’s guitar playing as they concentrate on singing and playing the tambourine for the rest of the gig. Nonetheless, they provide a carefree evening of guitar rock‘n’roll that has the joint jumping.

The Hi-Fi becomes a sea of hair as heads thrash back and forth and stage divers dive, flip and crash land into the first few rows, especially as the band hit The Art Of Partying material.

It’s a great set and hopefully the next time the band tours, word of mouth and a weekend night will see them playing to a much larger crowd.

It’s always a privilege to witness a strong and talented group of females rock a stage, and despite slight difficulties with sound and feedback throughout the set, Beaches have been no exception to the rule. Rock on girls!