WhiteCaves is the project of Kisschasy main man Darren Cordeux. If Kisschasy wasn’t your bag don’t tune out just yet. WhiteCaves’ affectionate re-read of the loud guitars and dreamy melodies that sat just below the surface of 90s Brit-pop is a major step forward from Cordeux’s former band. The four-piece’s execution of clamouring, tremolo-ing guitar sounds was not only impressive, it was just one element constituting the stack of well formed songs. Cordeux mightn’t have the strongest voice but he knows where to grab a memorable melody from. The set-list material competently referenced My Bloody Valentine’s guitar swells, the pop quality of recent Spiritualized and the rhythmic breadth of DIIV. Sometimes it edged a little too closely to these touchstones, but even if there wasn’t anything that made WhiteCaves particularly dazzling, the solid song craft couldn’t be denied.
Following last year’s fiery Hex.Lover.Killer The Delta Riggs are ready to launch album #2, Dipz Zebazios. Pre-release shows are always hard to curate: should the set be a complete showcase of the new record? Or include all the old favourites with a couple of new cuts? Tonight’s show essentially went for option two, which made for a raucous rock’n’roll feast. As the five onstage slammed through a large portion of the bravado-laden Hex.Lover.Killer, they made a crunching amount of noise, showering sweat all over the place. Their riffing R&B cover’s decent dynamic range and when it comes to the tight, muscular rhythm section, there sure ain’t no dithering. This technical showcase is nicely balanced by frontman Elliott Hammond’s debonair vocal bite and a complementary attitude.
Interestingly, this was one of the rare gigs where the question, “Should we play a new one or an old one?” was largely met by calls for “the new stuff!” The band has noted that the forthcoming record features a spacious, groove-heavy hip-hop spin and the sultry first single Supersonic Casualties sounded equally as triumphant onstage as it does on record. Unfortunately it was backed up by only few more yet-to-be released numbers. One of these had a Primal Scream-like, 90s-underground meets 70s-hedonism quality, and it’s a sound that suits the ‘Riggs. They’ve proven their mastery of rock machismo, but the newer material comes with more unique appeal. Bring on Dipz!
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Loved: The Curtin band room.
Hated: Not knowing the new record’s release date.
Drank: PBR.
