[Review] ACX 2010 The Temper Trap Get Angelic

Photo by Alex Rauch

Native Australian indie-rock choir boys, The Temper Trap, have the sort of laid-back, mellow, good-natured vibe you’d expect from a band most famous for a single entitled “Sweet Disposition.”

No audience members were having a temper tantrum tonight; infamous for their tenacious hustle, Temper Trap may be brand new on the scene but their atmospheric, musically all-encompassing live show is effortless and experienced.

Temper Traps buzzy, vibrant instrumentals washed symphonically over the audience, fusing with the warm, red lights emanating from the stage. Lead singer Dougy Mandagi crooned sweetly over Jonathon Aherne’s grungy, pulsating bass strumming,  and Lorenzo Sillitto and Toby Dundas ecstatic, yet precise accompaniment.

Temper Trap played uber-poignant “Love Lost,” slayed the audience with the intense power-pedaling on “Resurrection,” and wooed the crowd with radio single “Sweet Disposition.” Vocalist Mandagi has an enraptured voice, easily juxtaposing being luscious phrasing and tortured angelic screams.

The highlight of the night was when Temper Trap broke into a tribal, groovy jam, their heads and hips gyrating elastically as if in an Aboriginal mating dance. While we had to rush backstage to write this review, we were literally trapped in awe, watching this “brand new” bring it with as much skill as veteran magical music masters.

[Photo Gallery] ACX 2010 The…