Review: Songs, Little Casino @ Woodland

Saturday night rolls around once more and we find ourselves at Woodland, eager to catch the latest offering from the Sydney enigma that is Songs.

Little Casino offer the major support slot of the evening and this dapper crew from the Brisbane and Byron Bay area offer some honeyed indie-pop to the early crowd. Seemingly taking musical direction from their coastal surrounds, this 5 piece offer well structured songs that wash between harmonic pop and grooved out rock. Having released their first EP mid-way through this year, the group have their sweet harmonies fine tuned tonight – turning a crowd as the set lingers. Highlights are the radio-friendly Golden Shadows and the interpretive dancer down the front.

Songs, the hardest band you’ve ever tried to Google, front to a criminally small crowd for a Saturday night in the Valley. Let’s blame the work Christmas parties because these guys are good.

An expanded and brand new line-up, adding to the core that is Max Doyle and Ela Stiles, has brought with it a new, expanded sound. Showcasing mostly tracks due for release on their upcoming second full length album, this evolved version of the Songs we saw at the now defunct Clubhouse two years ago are a far more progressive lot. Gone (but not completely forgotten) are the hooks that were scattered liberally throughout their self-titled debut, affectionally known as the “cheese album”. In their place is space and dirt. This is pop but not as we know it.

This set full of droning pop remains interesting and enigmatic throughout. Sharing vocal duties, the contrast adds layers; Doyle chants over the top while Stiles breezily delivers.

The surfing picture projected onto the Woodland backdrop appropriately complements the rolling swell blowing through the speakers onstage and before too long, shots have come and gone, and we’ve reached the final couple of songs for the night. Closing with a look back on where they’ve come from, a brilliant version of “Oh No” is followed by the dreamy “Retreat” and we leave Woodland happy, anxiously awaiting the dropping of that second LP and with it, hopefully, a return visit in the near future.