A free show is always a good show,
especially when it contains some of Sydney's most renowned
psychedelic / dream-pop acts. Striking the note with a resounding
delayed drone throughout the Gaelic Club were Dark Bells, a
three-piece who as far as I know, are relativity new to the scene.

They were warmly received by the increasingly large crowd as they tore through bass-driven soundscapes with howling deep
female vocals. Maybe not as deep as Nico, but there was still a
feeling of unsettling Indian-chant vocals to singer/guitarist Tenelle
T. Still, at times it was hard to pick when a song was finishing and
when one was starting. Sure, I understand its all part of the
psychedelic experience, but it's good to have some clarity and obvious
melody from time to time.

Zeahorse, on the other hand, know all about
melody. And with interesting song titles like “Spider Stole My Fungus”
and “The Goo Will Be Gone Real Soon”, you might begin to think
that they are some sort of mid-70s Zappa-esque novelty band. Far from
it. No strangers to the scene, Zeahorse channel all they
love and spurt it out in a unique array of kaleidoscope
colours. They will more than likely knock you out with their
lead-lines. The before mentioned “The Goo Will Be Gone Real Soon”
sounds like an out-take from “Sweet Sixteen” by Royal Trux, with
its sloppy and snotty vocal delivery's with a tad bit of humour. They
definitely love the nineties, and who doesn't?

The Laurels started in
2006 so they've had a bit of time to work out their de-tunings and
craft a sound. As you watch the audience swagger from side to side, bobbing
their heads, you realise they appreciate the effort. Yes, the
typical comparisons that every other review mentions is obvious, but
The Laurels have the advantage that gives them that extra boost.

Instead of difficulty to pinpoint vocals, guitars etc like most great
shoegaze bands, with The Laurels you can hear just about everything
in the mix. It sounds damn great to know what the hell is going on. “Turn On Your Mind” is a pure-pop song that has been
getting a fair bit of airplay on FBI as of late, but it was really
the tunes I didn't know that stuck with me for tonight's explosive performance.

The Laurels just keep
getting better.