Single Review: DROVES @LAZY BONES

Wollongong new/dark wave five piece DROVES started out a couple of years ago as GIVERNY – a solo project by singer-songwriter & multi instrumentalist Phillip Spiteri. Dark electronic beats and haunting guitar reverb were his stock in trade,  and after a few singles (and many shows later) they morphed into a full live band. At the recent Yours and Owls festival in Wollongong they officially debuted as DROVES and last Friday launched their new single ‘Time‘ at Lazybones in Sydney.
Arriving at Lazybones on a balmy Friday night I navigated the labyrinthian staircases and corridors to find the main band room. The first level opened up onto a smaller stage with alcoves of people huddled around tables awaiting the evening’s entertainment whilst jazz piped softly in the background. After ordering a drink from the bar, I surveyed the room for familiar faces and thought I had the wrong venue. Delving back into another set of corridors (and another staircase) I opened the door to a larger room decked out with red curtains, comfy couches and an impressive looking stage.
Support act TRU’ aka Sara Tamim had just started and her electronic dream pop combined with her mesmerising vocals captivated the audience quickly and had already drawn quite a crowd. With only a laptop in tow she displayed a commanding stage presence that suited the intimate nature of the venue and created a blissful ambient atmosphere that one could easily get lost in.
DROVES took to the stage later that night with a quiet confidence which grew exponentially throughout the set. Spiteri’s original songs were given a heavier edge live with Jonathan McKenzie’s impeccable drumming whilst the additional guitars provided intermittent shades of post punk grunge to the mix.  However it was the vocal harmonies on their new single ‘Time‘ that stood out in the set.  Spiteri’s baritone vocals were a perfect foil for singer/guitarist Taylor McAuliffe’s ethereal voice when he intoned  ‘Another day, another dollar in my head, another six drinks alone’  – which made me reminisce about the vocal melodies of The Go-Betweens.
Although, at times the set was a little loose, it actually added to the atmosphere of the show in an intimate setting like Lazy Bones. Spiteri & his new found band DROVES have managed to meld together new wave electronic music with an Australian twist.