Touring their new single, “Less Traveled”, from their upcoming debut album due for release in 2014, I, A Man chose an unusual venue for their Adelaide show.
The Exeter Hotel is grittily small and has a distinctly underground-grime feel that acts as a foundation to the charismatic pub. Nevertheless, this Melbourne four-piece immediately shattered any doubts about their location choices as soon as they walked into view.
A warm swell of keys brought the chattering crowd to a quiet, as I, A Man shot into “You’re Boring Us All” from their EP of the same title. The wrinkling guitar progressions built under the smooth boom of frontman Dan Moss’s voice, which floated and burst as the song stretched and changed.
I, A Man flourished in the rawness of the venue – their sound melting the walls of the Exeter and painting the room with rich sonic landscapes. Balancing gleaming chord progressions with dissolving rhythms, their set held a dreamy ambiance that rippled and swelled in the dirtiness of the old pub.
Molding their new releases upon the old, “Less Traveled” drips in organic textures and shifting tempos. Not sticking with any one genre, I, A Man show their musical flexibility by presenting their flirtations with psychedelia, indie, pop and tenderised rock openly.
Thawing the chilly room with a heavy haze of soothing harmony, I, A Man layered instrument on instrument with expert ease. Driven by the constant and compelling aptitudes of drummer Sumner Fish, each tune brought with it a dynamism characteristic of the band. The gold-tinted “Sometimes” finished their set as the musicians casually wandered off stage and waited for the support.
The raw ferocity of Sincerely, Grizzly – a cacophonous explosion of guitars and percussion – followed. Having toured extensively already this year, Sincerely, Grizzly are far from being poorly versed in performing, and it definitely shows.
Frontman Josh Calligeros’ lanky height caused him to tower above the crowd as he zipped dangerously over tangled chords and through the array of instruments littered across the stage. Twirling wildly through the drunken fans midway through songs, Calligeros was intoxicatingly passionate in his recital.
Throwing in a number of new singles off their upcoming LP, Sincerely, Grizzly ripped the pub from the indie-psych languor of I, A Man with desperate energy.
Each new track beat under Calligeros’ acidic vocals, which strained over the heavy, urgent drums of Rowan Mount and the unyielding energy of bassist Griffin Farley, who fell forward into each note with a demanding resolve.
After hearing previews of both Sincerely, Grizzly and I, A Man’s new records, set to be released early 2014, it’s more than safe to say that summer will be fizzing under the sweltering talents of these local acts.
