Akron/Family @ The Beat Club

It seems people have issues describing Akron/Family without using the words 'beard' and/or 'ramshackle' but while the former may be true for two-thirds of the band, the latter does them such a disservice. Although superficially the New York-based trio's sound seems like it's held together with nothing but coffee grits and a prayer tonight, the shifts through folk, afro-beat, hip-hop and noise are second nature to these guys - they do it without blinking. Onstage, they're an animated, charismatic lot and they need do little to whip up an audience fingerclick-along. And the voices. Oh my, the voices. Their hirsute chorus singing, angelically in time, has the Beat Club patrons joining in whether they like it or not. Even after nigh on 90 minutes of playing, their frenetic 15 minute parting salvo of Raising the Sparks and Ed is a Portal ends way too soon for these true believers. [Matt Gollock]