If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing Totally Mild live yet, imagine what an early Best Coast gig would sound like if Mac DeMarco wrote all the riffs. Totally Mild shoot for the surf side of indie-noise and end up sounding like dream-pop snuck out of its bedroom window to meet its jangle pop boyfriend at the beach.
Launching their debut LP Down Time in the busy Curtin band room, Totally Mild’s strength shined as they explored the vast range of influences cleverly woven into their set list, touching on new wave, lo-fi and a slew of various pops; 60’s surf, 90’s dream, and 00’s jangle.
Fronted by the too-cool-for-school Elizabeth Mitchell, the Melbourne four-piece had the room swaying along to the slow, surfy, riff-driven introduction, Christa. A good first taste, Christa featured twangy, pitch-bending vibratos and down-tempo drumming with a tinge of lyrical melancholia that yearned for acceptance and closeness; “I only want to be like you”.
On stage banter was kept to a minimum, but the Curtin crowd didn’t seem to mind. Rooted in a simple bass line and tom-centric beat, Go Home warranted comparison to The Motels’ Total Control and really showed off what this young band can do in a more stripped back setting. Mitchell’s vocals thrived on this one, finding the space to flourish in between sparse notes.
Totally Mild’s musical versatility and genre explorations completely set them apart from the all-too-many totally mild jangle-pop artists out there. The band haven’t hidden behind a lo-fi production style; they’ve relished the chance to change up their game; and each track had a distinguishable character, whilst still including shared core lyrical and emotional themes.
Even though they hit the stage at 11:30pm, Totally Mild held the crowd’s attention throughout the set, and judging by the sea of attendees, I’d say the launch was a success. Readers looking for a young, refreshing sound coming out of Melbourne should pay attention to Totally Mild in the near future.
BY MICHAEL CLARK
Loved: Being pleasantly surprised by a local band.
Hated: Missing the last train.
Drank: Coopers Sparkling Ale.
