The New Pornographers @ Òran Mór, 7 Sep

For Freelance Whales, Postal Service is a name that will surely haunt any review. The whirring keyboard is there, and the unashamedly North American, adolescent singing. Importantly, though, so is the ear for a good melody, Hannah and Broken Horse channeling the living spirit of Ben Gibbard through a Ouija board of folk.

The New Pornographers kick off their set with old favourite Sing Me Spanish Techno, new material – like Up in the Dark and Crash Years which follow – respectfully pepper the set without becoming overpowering. In the absence of alt-country crooner Neko Case, taking over tonight’s female vocal duties is newest pornographer Kathryn Calder. Her pipes aren’t quite as whiskey-stained as her predecessor, but she proves herself more than a placeholder, whether providing harmony or belting out the big ones, like Mass Romantic and The Laws Have Changed, two of the best received songs of the evening.

Of the new bunch, Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk and Hands Together hit the spot, the first a fantastic example of their distinct brand of itchy-footed ballad, the second a sonic assault with angry guitar punctuating emphatic vocals. They finish with the ironically uplifting The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism, providing a euphoric climax well worthy of their name. [Oisín Kealy]