Live Review: Bearhug, Bored Nothing & Postrangers

Popstrangers opened the triple bill, surprising given they've just released their debut album to strong reviews. Low early attendance didn't seem to deter the trio as they played an impressive set that sounded much larger than the low-ceiling confines of the club. Musically, they showed their diversity in blending a range of indie guitar rock styles into their economical songs. They were just as comfortable getting dark and droney as they were with their poptastic single Heaven. There was an aloofness about the band that made you feel strangely relaxed as the kinetic energy of their songs cut jerky and off-kilter sounds from the speakers.

Visually, Bored Nothing are a strange composite of individuals with head honcho Fergus Miller relegated to one side of the stage, making his low-key persona seem all the more distant. The rest of the band were more than capable musically but there was a real aesthetic disconnect within the band, particularly the guitarist who gave the impression he was playing for the scorecard at a high school band comp. Miller showed he can write great songs in the vein of Lou Barlow, Sparklehorse and Real Estate but on this performance he hasn't yet found the right vehicle to present them live.

Bearhug rounded things out with the most relaxed set of the evening. They looked half asleep yet enjoying every blinking moment of it, playing up to the youthful vigor of the audience. Their songs tended to hit a groove and build layers of sound around it courtesy of their three guitarists, and often their combo of a propulsive rhythm section and dreamy, twinkling guitar recalled The Smiths via Pavement. The vocals complemented the music rather than leading it and the new songs they played sounded like their best work to date.