LAYAWAY are band often mooted as the “Ones to Watch” or one of the bands set to "breakthrough in the new year" and it’s easy to see why.
They blend dreamy, soaring vocal melodies over a decidedly hard-rocking framework, with quite satisfying results. The driving rhythm section serves to ground the more expressive hooks – the listener is given a breath of fresh air, while being punched in the stomach at the same time.
This balance is precarious: On most recorded tracks it tends to veer towards the soaring, than the driving. But the live performance is a different matter. Layaway are a rock band, first and foremost, and no one attending one of their shows would argue.
The four-piece set up to gut punch when they took to the stage in support of October Drift at King Tut’s earlier this month. The vocals from singer Stewart Matheson were a little bit grungier, the guitar tones were sludgier and the drums were on another level entirely. It was an unexpected, but welcome, shift.
Counting Windows and Falling Knives were given the live treatment to great effect. Both renditions maintained the emotion captured on their respective recordings, but with a little more intensity. Blood and Water was another highlight of the setlist, along with finishing track Finite.
Notable absences included Pitt Street and 3.00 AM – though, admittedly, a rockier version of the latter would be haemorrhaging. Though it may just be worth it...
SETLIST
Timekeeper
Counting Windows
Falling Knives
Until Then
Endeavour
Blood and Water
Finite
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