Wolves

Initially mistaken as an orchestral tuning exercise, the first song, myspace track Bright Light, began instrumentally, filling every inch of the venue with the dark atmospheric sounds the artists have been cultivating these past few months. Vocalist Adam Burford sat on the stage, as cool as if he was just waiting for a bus-or maybe a limo, from his nonchalant expression-before rising to his place in front of the microphone.

It was around this point that guitarist Russell Winter kicked things off quite literally as he knocked his fold back speaker off the stage: the result of his sprightly ‘he should be in a hardcore band’ darting around the small space. Through the first few songs the band were feeding a visceral indie rock sound that moved and swelled throughout the room. Each song poured into the next, building on the atmosphere of the one before. Rachael Aquilina’s violin brings the same intensity to Wolves that she contributed to previous band Streetlight. The violin parts giving the songs an orchestral fullness, as well as a captivating edge. Wolves’ music is Gothic, in the Edgar Alan Poe, literary sense, rather than the urban sub-cultural sense.

As the second half of Wolves’ set approached, this mood fed the band’s energy and lead them on to continuing strengths. Somewhere midway, Burford found himself seated again, glass of wine in hand, reminding us just how at home he felt. Reucas Lim (Bass) and Jason Robb (Drums) were the unsung heros of the band, careful not to draw attention to themselves, both musicians played their instruments flawlessly. If you could drag your attention away from the other three members you were rewarded with the same calibre of performance from these two talented musicians. It was clearly a strength for both Lim and Robb that they knew just when to hold back, never giving too much or too little to the songs.

Coming towards the end of the set, the song Cowboys was a clear highlight. While the first half of the set was an indication of the kind of sound these musicians want to create, Cowboys showed off their song writing strengths. Even as the show came to an end the band’s energy refused to lag, and during the final song It’s Alright, Robb succeeded in knocking over a cymbal with the fervency of his drumming. And as Wolves’ first headlining show, we can only assume this is just the beginning. - Fasterlouder.com.au