Concert Review: Mousey, Wine Cellar, 24 Sept 2020

Christchurch Indie-Pop band Mousey are bravely charging ahead with a national tour, promoting an album that’s are only half recorded. Seismic vibrations can shake you out of hiding and resignation. Flew up this morning to launch Rolling Thunder with a special early show at The Wine Cellar in Auckland tonight. They had no trouble selling out the initial show, being limited to thirty seated enthusiasts.

The opening six-piece band is Mixed Vege. This is Rod Fisher, who appeared here two months ago as a solo performer. Mixed Vag someone mis-pronounces from the audience. Gender balance is equal.

Adore You and Take Take Take. Melodic Indie-Pop and a big sound. Three guitars mesh to a bright sunny jangle. Wine Cellar don’t do light shows. That leaves it to the music.

Outta Control is given some extra energy here compared to the EP version. Sung as a chant. Guitars drone and encompass. Tribal Pop.

Lover is given to the girls to sing, and rouses the tables. Simple rhythms come out front, guitars in the background.

Won’t Get Far revs up for a New Wave E-chord thrash. Raucous Pop and Rod sings with some punk energy.  All from their EP 2 Minute Noodles out for a couple of months now.

Mousey the name was cribbed from the girl with the mousey hair from Bowie’s Life on Mars. Sarena Close is the leader and songwriter. Dwarfed by her big acoustic guitar. Long dress and clumpy boots. Partner and drummer Chris Close. Terence O’Connor on guitar and David Cloughley on bass complete the group.

The album Lemon Law was released last year and makes up half the set. The rest are from the forthcoming one, evolving on this tour.

With Lifelong Pursuit the band kick in with bright melodic Pop. Strong rhythm powered by the drummer who excels all night, until he is hauled off when the band split in two. In fact, they have a well-drilled engine with the bass guitar. Sarena’s voice is a bit buried here but that’s fixed for the next one.

Extreme High is their debut single and everything comes together here. Sarena sounds Pop with attitude and a bit girlish like Debbie Harry was with the early Blondie. We now notice the guitarist who puts in a fast energetic rhythm riff matching the drums.

One Dollar Wednesday is a fresh new one and continues the energy with echoes of Girl Group vocal sound. Rhythms starting to get primal. A banger as Sarena says and exactly so. A highlight.

Of course, texture and pace are important so with Hopeless in Love we get to hear what a great voice Sarena has. Quiet and reflective Folk Pop. A wistful love song on record, a bit more muscle here. Strong and expressive with the instruments dropping back. Letting the song breathe uncluttered.

Painting of a Trench sounds like a Sixties torch song from someone like Dusty or Sandie. Stark and a little bit of Jazz dissonance as the drums lead the charge halfway through.

If You Really Loved Me is beautifully sung. The melodic but slightly off-kilter guitar which starts the song is latter period Velvet Underground. And so, rouses an old reprobate like myself.

The Dolphin Song is called and Oldie and I wonder why. I wish I was ten years old/ There’s something beautiful in the way kids see the world. Possibly written a while ago with a teen’s innocence. Folk Pop and Sarena winds up her expressive singing here to make it another stand-out.

This is the unplanned extra show so you get the rough one says Mousey. I think she understands they are actually killing it here.

The A team remain to finish the show. Singer and guitarist. A Team and Take Me to Harley Street quietens everything down. A gentle acoustic accompaniment. The singer gets to stretch out on two Folk songs. From soft and haunting to sweet. Great control as the voice rises with emotion. A big voice at times like Helen Shapiro.

A triumph for the band and their leader. If they fill all their tickets for the tour they get to break even. These are difficult times but musicians will take the lead. Mousey without fanfare show us they have a great future ahead.

Rev Orange Peel