I Heart Hiroshima

Frail lead guitar melodies sit prettily above clattering chords; male and female voices intertwine and occasionally meet over deceptively simple, innovative drumbeats. Such is the composition of every I Heart Hiroshima song ever released, yet we're still enraptured after 90 minutes, which is likely the longest set they've ever played. Owing to singer-drummer Susie Patten's relocation to Berlin, this is the trio's last show for, well, who knows – and they’re determined to exit with a bang.

As thick black curtains stifle regular airflow at Turbine Hall in an apparent effort to dissuade non-paying, sticky-beaking Powerhouse attendees, the trio's request for a between-album intermission is understandable. Even though this afternoon's show was advertised as a wholly retrospective exercise, it's thrilling to witness two classic Queensland releases being played before us: 2007's Tuff Teef and last year's The Rip. Both releases are signs, symbols and sounds of inner-city adolescent uncertainty ('Who I Was'), anxiety ('Surgery'), angst ('Here It Comes') and optimism ('Punks').

Pity that singer/guitarist Matthew Somers' health is literally falling apart before our eyes. His vocal delivery is strained to breaking point; he opts out of the first set's track five, 'Crook'd', which is hastily replaced with the Patten-sung early EP track 'I Feel It'. Teef's two finest moments feature late in the album: the urgent 'Captain To Captain', and final track 'Stop That', wherein Somers' and Cameron Hawes' buzzing guitars climax together to startling effect.

An aside: why don't more bands hold all-ages shows? Tonight's vibe bests pretty much every other routine local show, purely because the audience is excited to be there. The minor-to-adult ratio must be bang-on 1:1, and the exuberance of the former easily trounces the latter. We've all seen IHH before, which is why we're standing quietly and applauding politely. But damned if the kids aren't dancing, clapping and making the most of their chance to witness the band for perhaps the first time. Their enthusiasm is invigorating.

The Rip is the band's high watermark both literally and figuratively, owing to its strength of songwriting and maritime obsession, respectively. Somers wrings out pained verses in second track 'Got Out', and their performance of 'Four Sails' is a sort-of debut; a past airing at Valley venue Ric's "doesn't count", sneers Somers, in reference to its recent change in management. 4ZzZ FM “Hot 100” poll topper 'Shakeytown' is an unnervingly perfect song, and the chiming guitars of 'The Corner' herald the trio's purest pop creation. 'River' is rife with tension, while 'Listen' concludes the second set with a plaintive instrumental coda.

Half-hearted farewells are expressed but it's not enough. They’re not done with us yet. Having already showcased their best 25, they play two b-sides: 'The Cover' and 'Pink Frost', an actual cover of The Chills’ classic track. A sweaty group hug, some drumsticks thrown and some tears shed, perhaps. It's a shame they’re going, but they've earned their break.

by Andrew McMillen