Brisbane’s Arundel have undertaken a fascinating journey to bring them to the point they’re at now. With its origins as a solo project that resulted in brilliant tracks like “Living with Dinosaurs” (that we featured on the AU some 3 years ago) from Lucas Arundell (yes, two l’s), Arundel has evolved into a massive five piece, with three vocalists, a thousand instruments on stage and an entrancing, varied performance that is impossible to look away from. And along the way it genuinely feels like they’re attempting to do something that no one in Australia is right now…
Accompanied by backing video art, the band have hit the road on a tour across the East Coast of Australia in support of their latest single “The Red Cape”, and over the weekend it brought them to Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory. I used the word varied for their music, but there is a sound that is wholly their own that holds it all together – much in the same way that Zero 7 or Massive Attack could jump through genres and vocalists but still have the sound that made it uniquely their own.
Their opening track found us with Mary Guerin on lead vocals, with a soulful voice, and a trance-like beat behind her, that gave off a brilliant Portishead vibe. Things got a bit more epic in their next track, with Mary moving onto backing vocals, and electronic drums sitting strong in the mix, as they sat against the wall on the tight stage. The keys added strings to the mix – giving it as bit of a Gotye feel at time – and the overall vibe can be summed up in one word: cinematic.
Things get a bit more like Faithless next, or “Karmacoma” from Massive Attack’s Protection, mixing a bit of triphop with great grooves, solid (yet soulful) beats, a “left right left” repetition and distorted vocals in parts which works a treat. “A Deep Freeze” followed and was a stunning number; an easy highlight of the set. Interesting to hear how it sounds now, fleshed out as a five piece, having originally been made solo with two guest vocalists.
Their touring single “The Red Cape” took things up a tempo, with a dancier beat and both Lucas and Simon on vocal duties. They slowed things down again for a new track that followed, lead by Mary. But not before an epic bass line introduced a stunning, almost progressive rock number that closed things out; their recent single “Boat Song”. Proof they definitely take it up a notch live.
With the prevalence of the indie rock band in Australia, it’s easy to forget that bands like this exist in Australia – ones that cite Massive Attack and UNKLE as an influence, that is – if you didn’t look hard enough. But comparisons aside, Arundel seem far away from trying to fit any sound but their own, delivering material both intricate and unique. It’s a sound worthy of popularity, though it’s sometimes popular music isn’t worthy of music this good. As they continue to flesh things out amongst the five of them, I’m truly excited to hear where it all goes from here.
