Broken Records @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 26 Apr

An old dissection room in a former veterinary college may seem like a curious place for a show but in the warren of Summerhall, it’s just another surprise. A venue with such heritage is perhaps better suited to the lysergic wooziness of Spiritualized or Clinic’s artful precision but tonight it’s treated to something much more straight down-the-line. Broken Records are on the road to promote their fourth record and it’s their most rocking effort yet.

First though, The Little Kicks take to the stage for a short set that mixes scratchy riffs reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand with Hot Chip’s sampler-heavy electronics. Frontman, Steven Milne has a rich voice and some of the poise of Jarvis Cocker as the four-piece’s songs echo within the walls. 

What We Might Know, the latest album from Broken Records and the reason we're here this evening, was recorded in 2016 but it’s taken more than 18 months for the group to take it for a spin, something Jamie Sutherland blames on the challenges of juggling a family alongside your musical pursuits. At times Sutherland can be a little awkward, struggling with his guitar between songs, but he’s an entertaining frontman and it’s his impassioned howl that gives Broken Record their greatest source of appeal.

On full-throated new tracks like The Inbetween and They Won’t Ever Leave Us Alone, he rolls up his sleeves and launches in like a pocket Springsteen, while So Free is their own attempt at a Sam Cooke song. Ian Turnbull’s piano adds some heft and by the time the six-piece get to the end of the set, Sutherland is drenched in sweat and looking quite emotional at the audience’s positive reaction.

Their folkier roots have been reduced to the odd fiddle-break, replaced with an all-action rocking unit. The Dissection Room is ringing, the crowd is singing and Broken Records have proven that their return was long overdue.