Broken Records @ Octopus Diamond

Suffering from a snapped guitar string and, if you can believe it, an unruly kick drum, it certainly isn't The Byrons' (**) night. Technical proficiency and entertaining drum action aside, the haphazard nature of many of their songs leaves a longing for this two-piece to pull some of their ideas into more standard rock fare. However, when they eventually do, it seems they have chosen the wrong tunes to do it with.

With a huge double bass standing next to a standard guitar, followed by a tiny ukulele, Eagleowl (****) look, for all the world, like some kind of bizarre post-rock Russian Doll. With Dirty Three style soundscapes so delicate - almost hypnotising - the eventual reveal of harmonious Low-esque vocals on Know By Know almost jolts the senses. Further glorious incongruities come in their final offering with the choice opening line of "Can I call you motherfucker, or would your father be offended?" Perhaps, but this small, appreciative audience certainly prove not to be.

By contrast, Broken Records (****) are bulging at the seams, and not just in ideas either. For this seven-piece, multi-instrumental Edinburgh outfit, the tiny Octopus Diamond stage just isn't cutting them any slack. However, with their backs literally against the wall, they produce the goods. Like a sexed-up Black Heart Procession fronted by a Conor Oberst shorn of the angst but equally as lovelorn, the band career from sea-shanty folk to Baltic hoedowns, all shot through with a dirty, dark country-rock grit. Never once coming across as contrived or over-elaborate, there's certainly nothing broken here. [Darren Carle]