Mt Cleverest That Girl single launch @ Jack Rabbit Slim’s
w/ Death by Denim, Boykie
Friday, May 19, 2017
Jack Rabbit Slim’s was filled with youthful, foot-tapping tunes last Friday. The stars of the night were Mt Cleverest, a Perth quartet of boys looking like Hanson with their 90’s hairstyles.
The night became a real showcase for local talent, as Boykie opened the evening with their beautiful, slower set mixing in some grunge vibes.
Death by Denim, who are about to launch their debut album in early June, followed with indie tunes and a surprising jazz track. After getting the audience hyped for the main group of the night, the supports humbly joined the audience to enjoy the last performance.
Even though Mt Cleverest has been performing around Perth for a while, this one was the big show. The boys bonded over their passion for music and after getting drummer Gab Nash aboard a year ago, and they’ve been actively putting together new music since.
Saving their debut single That Girl for the end of the set, they opened with a number of their other originals, showcasing catchy riffs and vocals reminiscent of Sticky Fingers. That Girl is their first published piece and demonstrates their niche well: like their other songs performed this night, it combines rock riffs, a catchy bassline and indie-rap vocals with striking solos.
Impressively recorded by Andy Lawson (Debaser Studios) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Arctic Monkeys and Black Keys), That Girl is about the connections between cigarettes and romance, which is well represented in the eye-catching cover of the single, also used as a background in the show.
Rarely do the supporters fit the set so well, but this evening it felt like the three bands could have joined together onstage in the end. This is not undermining the stars of the evening – after all they were the ones who made the packed Jack Rabbit Slim’s jump in unity and demand an encore. Lead vocalist Christian Mechler gave them just what they wanted, dropping more catchy rhymes, and left the audience wanting more.
No doubt the first taste of many songs to come, the lads state that they don’t want to grow up, and no doubt in the future Mt Cleverest will keep making people move their feet not only in Perth, but further abroad too.
SUVI LOPONEN
