Going to see a band with reasonably high expectations ends in one of two ways: you’re either disappointed to a degree if the band doesn’t live up to what you wanted, or you’re pleased that they were up to scratch. That all seems pretty simple, though sometimes you get lucky enough to see a band that exceeds even existing high expectations. Melbourne’s own, The Temper Trap, were one such band. Having returned after a reasonably extended break from the live scene to record their debut album, they managed to suitably blow away the Toff in Town. And on a Sunday night no less.

Opening the evening were fellow Melbournians, Plastic Palace Alice, who had apparently succumbed to the Sunday night blues. There set was tight and their vocals spot on, though there seemed to be such a lack of energy from the majority that hurt the performance. Thankfully the band had guitarist Huw Murdoch to keep the glum mood from spreading too far. He jumped around and showed a genuine excitement for his music, unlike Emily Taylor who couldn’t even bring a smirk to her face whilst singing Jefferson Airplane’s ‘Somebody to Love?’

Rob McDowell’s claim that ‘The Harvest Song’ was a mix between Neil Young and Toto managed to provide the early comers with a smile and the song fairly aptly lived up to the promise. Unfortunately though, the amazing ‘Empire Falls’ didn’t match its usual exuberance and was sung with hardly the amount of excitement it deserved. The overall output from Plastic Palace Alice seemed a little lackluster, though Murdoch really does have a keen ability to make up for his bandmates.

Singer/guitarist Dougy must have thought there was a draft or something as he appeared on stage decked in a beanie and jacket. It was by no means cold, but he didn’t seem to mind as he and the rest of the Temper Trap set into their opening introduction, a rousing instrumental. The band’s new material was then on show as ‘Oh Baby’ filled the Toff with Dougy’s sweet vocal. It was immediately obvious that these guys have evolved since they last hopped around stages almost a year ago, which could be the influence of Jim Abbiss – the man behind Bjork and Placebo no less. The epic and haunting vocal was by far the stand out, with no comparisons appropriate, though the strengths of performance by Jonny on bass and Lorenzo on guitar and keys were also exceptional.

Having almost ditched their older material entirely, the Temper Trap played their way through new numbers like ‘Down River’ – complete with its raucously harmonized chorus – and their latest single ‘Sweet Disposition’, which despite being reasonably new sparked a massive reaction from the nearly packed house. “Remember this one, it’s called Resurrection,” remarked Dougy before the band’s defining track. Intelligent progressions and entrancing vocals were enough to captivate the crowd and spark applause with meaning. A further percussive instrumental followed before the set was finished with the almost as engaging ‘Science of Fear’. As Dougy ditched his guitar to take the microphone in hand, and Jonny and Lorenzo faced each other off to one side in their final minutes on stage, it seemed clear that the Temper Trap have returned. The time away: very fruitful.