Speedy Ortiz / Parakeet @ Manchester Sound Control, 16 October

Tethering a blissful vocal through the swelling refrains of her bandmates, Parakeet frontwoman Mariko Doi James leads a sound which is restlessly dreamy. While their set has resonances of pure elation, they also take detours into the achingly sad. Guitars sparkle into reverb and are offset by Doi James' plummeting bass lines to produce little cathartic bruises of melody, making them an ideal support slot for Speedy Ortiz, a band who relish vulnerability with a side of menace.

Leading the set with The Graduates from latest album Foil Deer, Speedy Ortiz own the stage with an endearing shyness, polarised by a determined and occasionally violent lyricism. With a '90s throwback sound reminiscent of early Pavement, the odd meticulousness of Sebadoh and the slacker fuzz of Veruca Salt, the Massachusetts quartet are happy to push sounds to their limits but also to strip songs down to their barest elements. On Plough, singer guitarist Sadie Dupuis executes the pleading breakdown with an assertive cool, while the R'n'B influenced Puffer is given extended sequences with which the bass heavy groove is allowed to saunter into a post-punk dirge.

Engagement with the audience is limited to exchanges where Dupuis keeps the audience in check, reminding everyone mid-set (following what she later refers to as a 'kerfuffle' in the crowd) that 'touching people without their consent is not okay,' marking Speedy Ortiz as an increasingly vital live band unwilling to tolerate the outdated machismo that can sadly dominate shows. [Amy Roberts]