New South Wales natives Dirt Farmer are as sonically at odds with the image their band name evokes as could be possible.
Laden with boyish harmonies and clean stylisations, the Albany-born musicians are quickly making a name for themselves on the Australian indie scene.
Touring their new EP, Delilah Lightning, the young five-piece travelled to Adelaide to share their endearing slacker rock.
Banjo Jackson, accompanied by his band Pineapple Collective, opened the show to a scattered few.
Nonetheless, with washing themes of dreamy escapism and recurring heartbreaks, Pineapple Collective’s alternative country/folk was a happy introduction to the night.
Each new track instigated a sense of comfort within the venue, the drunken crowd soothed by the warm blend of chords and constant rolling percussion.
Following were Sydneysiders Louis London.
Having drawn an increasing degree of attention for the high calibre of their live performances, the indie-rockers did not disappoint.
The explosive plea of ‘Weaver’ – a desperately commanding tune loaded with frantic vocals and driven by a constant chord progression and building drums – guided a few more fans to the dance floor.
Having successfully increased the energy in the room, Louis London made way for the main attraction.
Crowding onto the small bar stage, five-piece Dirt Farmer rushed straight into their harmonica-flooded summer rock.
The languid charm of their records is replaced in live settings with a faster-paced, more upbeat style suited to alternative club venues. Tonight’s happily drunk punters approved, dancing haphazardly across the floor.
Neat and slick, despite their incongruous name, Dirt Farmer slid through their new EP with smooth ease.
The relaxed groove of the instruments, transitioning effortlessly between the changing tempos and themes, complemented the warm vocals of frontman Stuart Barlow.
Joking with the scattered crowd, Dirt Farmer bounded into the bouncy drawl of ‘Kick It’ from their 2012 debut EP. It’s a song that initially resembles a poppier Tame Impala crossed with Jinja Safari, but quickly develops its own characteristic rhythm.
The slight inflections of Barlow’s vocals throughout ‘She Shakes’ then sweetened the set with charm, and blanketed the woozy admirers in a happy trance.
Debut single ‘Johnny Marble’ was the real highlight of the night – with a drifty mix of harmonica solos and sobering heartbreak, underlined by the expertly layered drumming of Thomas Barlow.
With a show packed full of whimsical melodies, beguiling guitar hooks and swooning rock ’n’ roll, Dirt Farmer definitely marked themselves as a band to watch out for.
