Seriously, if you wish to see a Sydney band with character, spirit and enormous reservoirs of talent then do yourself a favour, check the gig guides and make sure you go and see Dead Letter Chorus WHENEVER they play next. On a Friday night windswept with rain I ventured to the Hopetoun Hotel to check out this band of six and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. Playing an infectious and emotional brand of country/folk tinged rock they impressed on many levels. Every member of the band played with skill and passion, the guitars meshed beautifully, the drums were forceful and rhythmic and the keyboards added the extra ingredient. The contrast in vocals was a sheer delight. Gabrielle Huber's angelic voice was a nice counterpoint to Cam Potts' full throated roar. You could feel the emotion dripping through each song. This band is not relying on beats and trendy rhythms, it is writing heartfelt, touching songs that mean something. Each one told a story, and the live aspect just added an extra element as quite a few of the songs became mini epics as they build with great force and effect. Two great examples of this were the opener "11th Dream About Planes" (a brand new song) and the closer "Fathers & Daughters". Other highlights were "Magnolia Farm" (very charming), "Fred Astaire" (the 'single') and a superb cover of The Cure's "In Between Days".

This night also served as the official launch of the band's debut EP "Listen Carefully (We Shall Say This Only Once)" which you will be able to find in good record stores on July 7. If they don't have it, make sure they order it in as it is a promising debut which hopefully will lead to a full length album in the not too distant future. You can listen to a couple of the tracks now on their MySpace. Here is another track for your listening pleasure-
MP3: Laces Bound

Blue Mountains quartet Cloud Control were the main support and they were very good. They played a charming set of up tempo pop numbers which certainly entertained the crowd. They were channeling a bit of 60's pop with their infectious melodies, although I actually preferred some of the slower numbers that had a folkier feel. Two songs I liked in particular were "Free Love" and "Fine Teacher". The band is currently recording their debut EP and based on what I heard tonight I will be looking forward to hearing it. The first act were three piece Johnny Vance and The Revolutionary Kind. Upon entering the venue the first song kinda reminded me of Voxtrot vocally. But the other numbers swinged between rockabilly and country. Very entertaining I wouldn't mind checking them out again. And I loved their tribute to Parker Posey.