Live Review: Dorsal Fins, Emma Russack

Emma Russack battles with her guitar volume as she opens up with personal lyrics about relationships and her New South Wales hometown of Narooma. We can't help but be distracted by her animated drummer as he taps away with more enthusiasm than we can handle. Russack's simple harmonies and acoustic guitar rhythms explore blues, folk and country sensibilities in the most honest way possible.

"TGIF!" shouts Ella Thompson as she approaches the stage with her nine-piece ensemble, Dorsal Fins. It's the first show of their album launch for new record, Digital Zodiac, and they're proud to be kicking off the tour in their hometown, drinking the local brew with a few mates to celebrate. They're ready to throw a mega-party and we join in to get loose and share a dance for groovy track Heart On The Floor.

It's quite impressive watching nine musicians cram onto a small stage, all in their own little zones with different instruments, and yet they tie it all together so well! All the stars align perfectly to bring their sound to life. There are a lot of different, exciting moments throughout their set and there's a noticeably more consistent and defining sound in songs from their new record. They move through an eclectic spectrum of pop, electro and psych rock. Thompson and her co-singer, Jarrad Brown, share some delicate ballads that have us swooning over their heavenly paired vocals.

We simply must be in the moment as we soak up the band's joyous musical presence. Their supercharged energy bounces off the walls and keeps us dancing continuously. The horn section drives the crescendo on Nothing Left To Hide, while the keys run the show at a staccato pace on infectious tunes Romeo and High Low. They bring in some great tropical-funk sounds for mid-tempo tune Roll Back The Years before Thompson calls for a bit more darkness on the stage as they change the flavour for the slower-paced Motion. Their depth of sound seems endless and keeps us interested throughout. From seductive saxophone solos to quirky synths and obscure noises, the band create a vibrant whirlwind of sounds loaded with good vibes.

The set culminates in their explosive, syncopated dance-rock number, Monday Tuesday, followed by a mammoth instrumental super-jam. They mix up all of their sounds in a blender and serve up an ultra-juicy musical concoction to finish. We can't help but notice the cool dolphin tees for sale over at the merch desk and, just like that, we're reppin' our favourite local band all the way home.