I love The Brunettes, but right now they are overwhelmed.

Bush Hall is not the right room for the New Zealand-dyed sextet, formed around core members Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield. Too much pomp adorns the walls, resulting in a room more fashionable for an army banquet than a dirty pop gig. Not once are they comfortable, fluttering about perpetually on stage more in an effort to salvage, rather than accent, these songs. Handclaps and shakers replace key melodies, as both lead guitarist and vocalist Bree and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Mansfield look awkward, both with each other and the audience. This is not right.

A dancing contest influenced by a bountiful take on oceanic surf-rock gets no takers. The winner never moved a muscle. I don’t blame her, as I’m not moving. I wish I was, but nothing coming from these Kiwis encourages it. Instead it is all rather baffling, as a band capable of so much more is confused, and in the process of figuring anything out, is losing the crowd to the bar, chatting and the smoking patio. Unfortunate.

Let’s take a step back for a minute, because all this could be brill. The song selection, at least on paper, hits all the right places. ‘Structure and Cosmetics’ should be a curvaceous opener, on record a frolic between flirty trumpet bursts and male/female vocal switches; said closer and title track of their latest album is a great song, a fitting finish. Tonight as an opener, though, it is hollow. The gang assumes melodies will magically appear to fill gaps, but nothing is coming from the PA. Blame the soundman maybe, or the context, being this is an opening slot for the popular Shout Out Louds and many around me are rather ambivalent; or the venue, blame anything, anyone, because on stage no one is taking responsibility. ‘B-AB-Y’ is the same: the Channel 4 anthem is usually stuffed to the brim with interweaving horn lines, choral sing-alongs and plentiful strumming, but here and now it lacks vigour. I should be dancing, bobbing my head at least or singing along. I’m not.

Even ‘Her Harigami Set’, possibly the only salvageable gem in the pick-and-mix, can be better than it is tonight. On record it twists and turns graciously, rolling through sections like fags outside a bar in February, fervently trading one for the other. It is almost there, but not quite, as Bree and Mansfield cannot quite agree on the tempo, in addition to misrepresenting the role of the clarinet to accentuate a steady stream of wood blocks, cowbells, handclaps and shakers. It is overshadowed by noise when it need not be. In front, the frustration is obvious. They know this can be better, much better. But it is all too little too late. I’m off to the bar.

A headlining show or venue change will help The Brunettes. They rushed through songs because of the 30-minute set time, and the PA hollowed out every rhythmic branch, making what should sound full end up cavernous and empty. Plus, despite all this, Structure and Cosmetics is a gem of a record, and beneath this confusion resides proven songwriting talents. Talent aside, translating these tracks live is disappointing. More structure, fewer cosmetics next time please.

Photo: Francis Martin