I was tipped off about this Sydney-based band by a friend who resides in that fair city. His tip was a surefire winner…

Date: February 19, 2014

Venue: The Bodega

Described as “sepia-tinged, Fleetwood Mac-meets-Haim rock ‘n’ rollers”, albeit by yours truly, it seems, judging by tonight’s performance, that particular Tweet wasn’t a million miles off the mark.

They’re probably the first post-Haim band, actually, although this Sydney 5-piece won’t appreciate that moniker, as they’ve no doubt been thrashing out their scuzzy ideas around Sydney’s toilet circuit before the Haim girls got their first guitars and attitudes.

And if it’s attitude you want look no further than lead Preature, Isabella Manfredi. She looks like a frazzled, promiscuous Natalie Imbruglia, with a Devilish stare and a flirtatious bent.

“We’ve had to cut short our set tonight because our bassist blew a fuse. If you want a refund, come see me, I’ll give you a kiss”, she promises, before slipping off her denim jacket to reveal a crop-top which displays her toned midriff while her painted-on white denim jeans leave little to the imagination. In other words, she has a cracking arse.

When she’s not freaking out audience members with a fixed stare, she’s bouncing around the stage like a gazelle, shuffling up to her singing cohort, Gideon Benson, and playing the keyboard. She’s a busy girl up there.

Despite the curtailment, they eek out belters like Better Than It Ever Could Be, on which she howls like she’s auditioning for the 3rd member of Deap Vally, and on which scatter-gun guitar riffs ricochet off the walls.

But it’s the classic Fleetwood Mac-aping Is This How You Feel? which really points to the velvety vocals of Stevie Nicks and the echoic, ear-massaging guitar mastery of Lindsey Buckingham. Throw in that country-fied Haim reference and you have gotten yourself one hell of a melting pot and a tasty, fruity elixir.

Whatever this Aussie 5-piece are brewing, it’s a bit special.