Armen Firman

For those who have followed the travels of Melbourne band Armen Firman over the last few years, the release of their debut EP Your Name In My Skin has been a hell of a long time coming. When they first started talking about releasing something, petrol was 80c a litre, the Footy Show was still funny and you could take stuff home from the supermarket in plastic bags without getting dirty looks. But the Chinese Democracy-esqe delays only served to build the anticipation of a packed East Brunswick Club that came on Friday night to see the band launch their long-awaited first release.

The Gabriel Lynch Band opened proceedings with polite FM rock music. They had some catchy songs, but I couldn't help but feel they were an odd choice for a support band and would have been more at home supporting Thirsty Merc. The Midnight Mass were up next, a four-piece that expertly displayed their knack for writing Interpol-inspired rock n roll. Delivering melodic choruses with delayed guitar lines, the band are clearly very comfortable in their sound.

Triple J Unearthed winners Number Station were the main support for the night. From the opening note, lead singer Chris Andrews crooned his way through an awesome set that had many of the female audience members going weak at the knees and fainting 1930’s black and white movie style.

But most of us were there to see Armen Firman, and frontman Tom Whitty and his charges didn’t disappoint. I’ve caught them a few times recently as a support act, playing Penfold to the Danger Mouse of bands such as British India and Jebediah. This time, however, the stage was clearly theirs, confirmed by a backdrop featuring the artwork of their EP and a large portion of the crowd singing along to their songs. The set began with the two songs that open their EP - Fall for You and In the Water - both catchy rockers that set the pace nicely.

As the set progressed, we were introduced to a more varied sound with bassist Jim Saunders taking over vocal duties for a couple of tracks, and even a jaunt into electro-rock territory with the excellent new song Common Man. For a band just releasing their first disc, they have a stack of material and there are really no weak spots in their set. Which is great for them, but does make it difficult to find a time to duck back to the bar. Next gig I may have to invest in one of those big hats with the beers on the side and the straws.

Whitty's vocal is particularly strong – kinda like Daniel Johns after he stopped trying to sound like Eddie Vedder but before he went all high and whispy. It is the most attention-grabbing element of each song, but then each tune is packed with catchy and often complex bass, lead guitar, keyboard and drum lines. In fact, if there is anything adverse to be said about this band, its that there is almost too much going on. The five members of Armen Firman each provide a contribution to every song that would be interesting enough to listen to on its own, and it sometimes feels like they are throwing so many ideas at you that you’re not sure where to look. As seen in recent releases like the new Kings of Leon album, sometimes stripping back to allow a single, central melody to lead the song without competition can generate a more powerful result. In other words, its ok to have a passenger if it serves to highlight the talent a more prominent feature – the Beatles had Ringo, a parma has the side salad, and SuperTed had that weird guy with spots that looked like a banana.

Thanks to a bit of Triple J airplay and iTunes support, the best known Armen Firman song is the haunting rocker Porch Dweller, which was saved for last in the main set. Ripper of a song this - one that sneaks up and whacks you with a balls-out rock song just when you think you’re settling in for a nice mellow one. It is the centrepiece of the EP, and a fitting climax to a great set.

The band were quickly drawn back to the stage by the excitable crowd to punch out another couple of tracks. The final song for the night, Only I Know You, is also the closer of the EP. Like Porch Dweller, this one has a quiet way of really getting too you with its lingering waltz and the ghostly quality of Whitty's vocal.

Anyone who bothered to sit through the Arias last night could be forgiven for thinking that as a musical nation the best we have to offer at the moment is a 17 year-old with one mildly-catchy pop song to her name. Those who were there to catch Armen Firman and their supports on Friday night know that we are in fact in a much healthier state. I can highly recommend that you jump onto iTunes to grab the Armen Firman EP Your Name in My Skin, and catch them live whenever you can. Try not to get a spot behind me and my massive beer hat though.

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