CHUMP @ The Safari Lounge, Edinburgh, 30 Mar

Opening the night among the potted plants and fairy lights of Edinburgh's Safari Lounge, Tongue Trap provide a shot of pop-punk as the cosy basement room begins to fill. With their baseball caps and Hawaiian shirts this all-girl band embrace the tackier end of American culture, and while songs like Taco Tuesday are terrific bursts of throwaway whimsy, it’s the more thoughtful songs in the mix that make this act stick. Groove-driven track Spilt Milk is a definite highlight, questioning personal ethics and morals, asking if there's any way to avoid hypocrisy.

Up next and showing virtuosity from the start are West Princes, a band who could oh so easily fall into endless prog solos but instead show restraint, showcasing each member’s musical talents while creating fresh interesting and intensely enjoyable songs. The drumming provides the band with real vitality, rolling from disco to African highlife with influences of electronic dance music to keep the crowd moving. Another attribute that lift this band are the gorgeous vocal harmonies of Jack Boutwood and David Stobart, and although the PA struggles to keep up at points it only adds a certain rustic charm to the set.

Celebrating their first Edinburgh headline show and the launch of new single, At Least We Got a Song Out Of It, Glasgow three-piece CHUMP have tonight attempted to co-ordinate their attire. Both singer Tara Masterson Hally and bassist Tony Kelly wear black turtle necks – Kelly notes they look like mime spies "who play music when they’re not killing" – while drummer Matt Robin foils the plot, defiantly wearing an oversized white t-shirt.

One of the most enjoyable parts of tonight's performance is the back-and-forth between Masterson Hally and Kelly – both are genuinely funny, and with a pleasant and natural wit they compliment each other perfectly, which is an added bonus to the stunningly good music. 

Throbbing basslines cradle the set and tie together songs that are brooding, tender and occasionally funny. Robin is a deceptively good drummer; starting off simple and steady he adds in ecstatic flourishes, guiding an intense and dynamic set. At Least We Got a Song Out Of It gets the warmest reaction of the night, and we leave the fairly light-strewn lounge elated.