After what felt like half a dozen postponed and cancelled shows throughout the last two years, Melbourne's Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever finally got on stage in their home city (24 March) to essentially launch their 2020 sophomore record, 'Sideways To New Italy' – less than two months before their third LP ('Endless Rooms') is out.
Testament to the five-piece, and also potentially not having been able to play the 2020 set live beyond a couple of low-key gigs pre-pandemic, their enthusiasm for the 'old' stuff was palpable on this Thursday night at the Forum – a venue with a stage that can actually accommodate so many singer-guitarists.However, the old adage of 'too many cooks' certainly doesn't apply here, which is at the heart of what makes Rolling Blackouts CF so incredibly good.
Three guitarists, a bassist and drummer on paper seems indulgent; on stage, this band has the kind of organic synchronicity that you're more likely to see in trios. (When this curious reviewer asked guitarist Joe White's incredibly proud dad afterwards, he spoke of all the members' familial closeness, and you bet it shows.)
Image © Michael Ridley
With a busy, buzzy Forum crowd already buoyed by locals Pinch Points and Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts CF launched into a debut-album favourite in 'Bellarine', before three of the five side-A tracks off 'Sideways To New Italy': epic opener 'The Second Of The First', 'Beautiful Steven' and 'She's There'.
And for a band with so many players, these tunes – plus more 'Sideways...' tracks like 'Cameo', 'Cars On Space', 'Falling Thunder', 'Sunglasses At The Wedding' and 'The Only One' – have such an uncomplicated, direct pop sensibility.
While The Go-Betweens comparisons are valid, because this band has happy-sad ear worms for days, so would be nods to acts like The Middle East, who also made such a large ensemble seem both effortless and a celebration of playing music together.
Image © Michael Ridley
The set was peppered with songs from 2018's 'Hope Downs', like 'An Air Conditioned Man' and 'Mainland', and a simple one-song encore of oldie 'French Press' felt like the perfect close; on record it's a polished pop-rock pleaser that would be at home soundtracking an ad for anything offering 'freedom', but seeing it play out live washes any cynicism away.
Their absolute tightness was admirable, especially when paired with the carefreeness every member offered on stage. It doesn't just take a good band to make it look that easy, but a seriously great one.
So stay tuned for album number three, there's a good chance it'll be making plenty of 2022 lists come December.
