San Diego buzz band The Soft Pack lured the crowds with a press release heavily promoting their grungy take on The Strokes as well as catchy radio release “Answer To Yourself”. And whilst this isn’t exactly what the band delivers, that’s a really good thing.

It seems unfair to see opening band Cabins playing to such a small audience. Having just released their debut album Bright Victory, they are finally earning the recognition they deserve, with “Catcher in the Rye” receiving national airplay courtesy of Triple J. Hearing the tracks played live, the natural intensity the band captures is exacerbated, creating an incredibly tight, engrossing set. “Father Ripper” is wrought with an ominous darkness, whilst the brash opening for “Mary” translates brilliantly live.

Lead vocalist Leroy Bressington possesses an almost demonic stage presence. Face hidden behind a mass of blonde curls, he writhes and groans throughout the performance - a physical representation of the mood captured by the music. The rest of the band combines to create a soundscape to carry the vocals, with understated percussion a particular highlight. Hopefully the coming months will see Cabins performing in later timeslots and to greater audiences.

The Soft Pack have been most commonly described as “minimalist”, with references to their garage grunge sound. However tonight, it is a surprise to see that their live offering is somewhat more closely aligned to a surf-rock sound with garage tinges.

In essence, the band provides a jangly guitar riff juxtaposed against vocalist Matt Lamkin’s somewhat abrasive growl. It’s a combination which despite all odds, works quite well to create a sound which straddles genres and makes the band all the more unique.

The set list is comprised predominantly of songs from their self titled 2010 release, as well as 2009 EP Extinction. Early track “Bright Side” is the offering most closely aligned with pop with harmonic refrains and upbeat percussion. It is beautifully timeless, and it seems such a shame to be hearing the band in the depths of winter, as despite the downbeat subject matter, the song really captures the feeling of summer road trips.

“Down On Loving” demonstrates the more recent transition away from the surf influence into a more streamlined guitar sound, whilst “Extinction” finds attitude in the tempered punk of the vocals and rhythm guitar.

The band are not limited to a single level of sound however, as evidenced by their self-confessed “slow jam” “Mexico”. Perhaps the stand out track, it creates an image of grimey escapism to be expected from a band growing up twenty miles from Tijuana. The energy is lifted with anthemic “C’mon” which produces the first genuine sing a long from the crowd. The participation is increased even further with breakout single “Answer to Yourself” which results in a stage attack on guitarist Matty McLoughlin by an enamoured fan, as well as crowd surfing. Not bad for a Wednesday night at OAF.

Rather than conclude with this high point, the band instead choose to fade out with an instrumental. Lamkin leaves the stage well before the rest of the band, and it just feels a little anti-climatic. The group have delivered an hour-long energetic set, and it seems a shame to end in this manner. Nevertheless, the band are impressive in their ability to translate their recorded liveliness into a polished performance.

Confirmed to play at Falls Festival later this year, The Soft Pack will be a welcome addition to our live summer playlists.