Concertgoers are always seeking some form of intimacy from the shows they attend, whether that’s rubbing sweaty shoulders with a fellow fan or exchanging looks with the frontman: “OMG, he totally looked at me! We’re practically married now” (this is what I say).

Unplugged, interactive and exposed to the elements, Inlet Sound delivered on the intimacy front by playing a fully acoustic set Friday afternoon during Live in Bellwoods: Great Heart Festival 2012 presented by  Young Lions Music Club & Live In Bellwoods. Under the shade of trees in Trinity Bellwoods, Michael Wexler and Steven Gore serenaded the crowd with smooth harmonies, while a new face backed them on double bass. Their signature brew of ‘dream folk’ filled the air, inviting all within earshot to find a spot in the grass, sit, sway and enjoy.

With ‘Tweets for Sweets’ hanging around handing out popsicles to cool the crowd, the real treat—eh? Get it?—was hearing new songs off Inlet Sound’s new, full-length album: The Romantics. While the three-piece string ensemble was enough to wet our beaks, fans will have to wait until late 2012 for the studio recordings.

Inlet Sound closed with Mademoiselle, dedicating the ode to missed misses in Montreal to Humble Empire. With some encouragement from Gore, the audience joined in on some light clapping action. It soon subsided once Wexler began to sing, perhaps worried they might drown out the unplugged trio. What a polite audience, hm? I suddenly had an urge to drink a shit-ton of gravy.

Photos by Tara & Aimee