Armen Firman

There are certain things in this world that I’ll never fully understand. This curious list includes sugar in coffee, modern cycling fashion, the menstrual cycle, Karl Stefanovic, people that stand far too close in a queue, and network stations tendency to green-light absolute rubbish when it comes to ‘home-grown’ Australian comedy. Believe me, the list goes on.

However, one thing I can seemingly get my head around is a decent band, which is what I got at the Evelyn with Melbourne’s futuristic knights or rock, Armen Firman. With a moderately sized crowd, there appeared to be a wholly disproportionate amount of excitement in the air. The guys began their month-long residency in a time of seemingly climatic uncertainty. As this was the first day below 25 degrees in the last two months, singer Tommy Whitty was forthcoming with his praise for us who were able to brave the elements to enjoy what was to be a night of high energy emotionally charged tunes. Any claims that they were responsible for Victoria’s earth tremors are purely speculative, but in no way unreasonable.

Front-man Tommy Whitty oozed with exuberance, drawing parallels with Faker’s Nathan Hudson and Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos. There was comfortable blend of confident strutting and earnestness with his lyrical delivery. Bassist and part-time front-man Jimmy Saunders delivered his handful of songs with enthusiasm to match, while lead guitarist Sam Whitty offered delightfully precise counter melodies. They hark back to the crescendo rhythmic preludes of rock grandfathers Pearl Jam. Though, the most accurate comparison that I’ve heard so far is that with seasoned Danish synth-rockers Kashmir. They have received a number of plaudits from various press articles. One particular revered Melbourne newspaper ranked last years debut EP Your Name In My Skin three-and-a-half stars out of a possible five. The significance of this success was not lost on Mr Whitty, who was quick to boast to the receptive audience between songs. However, he was just as quick to concede that Britney Spears was given four out of five in the same review column. Make of that what you will. There is a sense of immediacy with listening to these songs for the first time. Seeing them live, it was as though I’d heard them many times before. Yet, the detailed and defined nature of their songs brings with it an uncompromising sonic journey.

Their music is as substantial as it is catchy. They are a genuine rock n’ roll oddity. While it’s tempting to fire all manner of obscure adjectives, it may be perhaps more appropriate to repeat the simple phrase, “If you go and see Armen Firman, you will have a good time!” Hopefully this will work better than saying Porch Dweller is mind-blowingly evocative, and equally as compelling. In either case, they are a band on the move. Time will have its say in how far they climb. One gets the feeling however, that Armen Firman will gradually consolidate their place in Australia’s collective musical consciousness.

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