Junior Boys, The Arches, Glasgow, Oct 16

Junior Boys are Canadian duo Matt Didemus and Jeremy Greenspan. Former schoolmates, the pair's debut album 'Last Exit' saw vocal electronica meet Timbaland-style beat experimentation. Recent follow-up, 'So This Is Goodbye' eschewed the intricate programming of their debut for a more simplistic approach, though the emotional, heartfelt tales of love remained. Supporting Mercury Prize-nominated Hot Chip, they took to the stage in front of a sparse Arches crowd, with many still to arrive and others concentrating on the bar. Didemus stood behind a hefty bank of equipment, while Greenspan concentrated on vocal duties, offering his own musical input by alternating between electric bass and guitar. A backing drummer was utilised to add some rhythmic muscle to their pulsing, sweeping electro-pop. Though the majority of their half-hour set was taken from 'So This Goodbye', it's an earlier track, Birthday that stands out; a bitter-sweet, melancholic ode to a broken friendship. [Colin Chapman)