Cloud Control – XOYO, London 13/04/11

It was during the summer of last year that Cloud Control’s lush debut album, Bliss Release, came out in their native Australia, and it’s just over a month since that same album won the prestigious Australian Music Prize – not too far in concept from the Mercury Music Prize. So it’s been a pretty busy, exciting year for this quartet from Australia’s Blue Mountains, and a recent relocation to the UK has given them the chance to see what British audiences make of their bright and tender sounds.

It’s at a sold out XOYO in London that we find ourselves tonight then, a venue packed to the rafters with gig-goers eager to hear if the much hyped band live up to their live reputation. There are plenty of nostalgic Australian accents in earshot this evening, “oh, well I saw them YEARS ago back home!” and a lot of excited chatter preceeds the group. After a bit of a wait involving a buzzing sound and a problematic ‘Big Muff’ during the final soundcheck, the foursome make their way onto the stage to a rapturous welcome from a crowd that have, until this point in the evening, been quite tepid.

A huge, building intro of swirling guitars and thrashing cymbals kicks off the set, leading into opening album track ‘Meditation Song # 2′. From the first note, the sound is impeccable – the band sound comfortable, the instruments are perfectly balanced and the vocals are warm, rich and harmonious. Throughout the set, Cloud Control combine the quieter, more delicate moments from their back catalogue, such as ‘Just For Now’ and ‘My Fear’ with the faster, gloriously uplifting moments found in ‘This Is What I Said’ and ‘Gold Canary’. The warmest reception of the night is arguably for recent single ‘There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight’, a hugely catchy number which gets the whole crowd moving and singing along.

The vocals are particularly impressive tonight, with keys player Heidi Lenffer and bassist Jeremy Kelshaw providing gorgeous, perfectly balanced harmonies on each track, to the masterful backdrop of Ulrich Lenffer’s drumming. The band sing in unison with such apparent ease that the whole performance feels natural and effortless, even though it’s clear that each member is working very hard to make sure that this show is a memorable one.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Alister Wright is in his element as he bounces about the stage – a flash of energy, engaging and entertaining his audience. His vocals are really impressive – rich, powerful and note perfect throughout songs with quite complex vocal melodies that aren’t necessarily that easy to pull off live. But not bothered by the hastily changing dynamics of the setlist, every whoop and high note harmony is struck perfectly.

The set comes to a close with ‘Ghost Story’ , a dramatic build-up of layers of vocals, guitar crescendos and shimmering cymbals. It’s a mesmerising tune which hypnotises the crowd who, as the track draws to a close, fill the room with reverberating applause and Cloud Control are done for the evening, the final show of their UK tour. After having warmed the crowd up to the point of boiling, the band leaves the stage, content in the knowledge that their British invasion is well underway.

Cloud Control’s album Bliss Release is scheduled for release in the UK on 23 May via Infectious.