Live Review: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Body Type, Sunscreen

It's the final night to bear witness to full-band rock'n'roll at the Newtown Social Club. Quite rightfully, and ironically, it's a sold out show with three young bands on the cusp of - or in the case of the headliners - already receiving wider critical acclaim.

Sunscreen greeted the punters with a set of wistful indie-pop songs. From a low key start, their set got better and better as singer Sarah Sykes relaxed into the songs and the band responded in kind. From an occasional downbeat mood to sparkling '80s guitar sounds, they set the mood for the rest of the night.

As a live band, Body Type have grown in strides over the past 12 months. The musicianship and songs have always been there, but now they've hit that next point in the evolution of a band when they know the songs and each other so well that they can figuratively and literally let their hair down. This was a set brimming with a sense of fun and high spirits, with their frontline trio of singers all sounding superb as the rhythm section punched on with attitude and groove.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have already crossed that 'next big thing' threshold with their deal with Sub Pop, critical acclaim and a reputation for bristling live shows. From the get-go the quintet were a tightly wound unit, all five heads bobbing in unison, digging deep into the rhythm with musical and physical synchronicity. Seeing them live amplifies the way in which they construct their songs. The drums are relentless and almost mechanical in that Krautrock/human robot way that allows the rest of the band to lock in around them with rolling bass lines, fast-strummed guitars and contagious lead riffs based on minimal and precise melodies.

They're like War On Drugs, The Go-Betweens, The Feelies and Real Estate rolled into one singular blend of surging melancholic guitar music, like an endless sonic wave. With a nod to Orange Juice (Blue Boy) and pretty much all of their released material (Sick Bug, French Press and Fountain Of Good Fortune were highlights) the band emptied the tank and left an exultant audience grinning into the night.