Divorce @ Stereo, Glasgow, 5 Apr

The shabby ceilings, exposed stone walls and industrial pipework of Glasgow’s Stereo are an apt setting for the worn, rugged songs of Divorce’s debut album Drive to Goldenhammer. The Nottingham four-piece released the project last month to critical acclaim, and they're back in Scotland playing to a sold-out house as part of their international tour.

Support act DUG provide an unexpected yet delightful detour into Irish and American folk music. Through a mix of intricate, spindly guitar and banjo, warm, witty banter and a diss track about bad promoters, the duo enrapture the audience in a way support bands can rarely achieve. When they ask the crowd to form a circle for the accompanying dance to their final tune, the energetic gig-goers don’t disappoint.

The room is full to bursting by the time Divorce walk out on stage and lead singers Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow break the reverent silence with the a cappella introduction to Fever Pitch. Adam Peter-Smith joins in with a dreamy electric guitar line, lilting and twisting through this mellow opener.

Drummer Kasper Sandstrøm ups the energy with the propulsive, rattling beat of All My Freaks, the ecstatic and infectious first single from Drive to Goldenhammer. The band have no shortage of catchy, crowd-pleasing material to get through, with 2024’s gritty rocker Gears, the hefty stomp of Jet Show and 2023’s noisy but melodic Sex & the Millennium Bridge following soon after, the lively crowd joining in to belt out the choruses.

But there’s also room for the more expansive, severe alt-rock in Divorce’s catalogue. The three-part opus Pill makes for a captivating set-piece, while Karen is a dark slow-burner demonstrating Cohen-Towell’s astonishing vocal versatility, as they soar between soft, ghostly verses and the towering outro. Mackenzie-Barrow’s vocals, meanwhile, are low, warm and understated; the two interweave beautifully on the sublime, uplifting chorus of album opener Antarctica. For a rendition of the group’s 2023 single Scratch Your Metal, Cohen-Towell frees themself of their bass guitar and takes the mic out of the stand to groove around, lunging towards the audience over the snarling guitar lick.

The night reaches its triumphant climax with a blistering run of crowd-pleasers. Beginning with evident fan favourite Eat My Words, the band then blaze through two of their LP’s biggest singalongs, Lord and Hangman. The latter is nothing short of euphoric, with both Mackenzie-Barrow and the audience screaming the line 'I care about you already, I want to lift you up' like their lives depend on it.

The enthusiasm and mutual appreciation between band and audience are palpable. The four have no trouble connecting with the crowd through endearing banter about their extensive merchandise offering, a running joke about Cumbernauld, and asking the room to imagine them going off stage for an encore while they make a show of hiding behind a curtain.

This camaraderie along with the vulnerable warm-heartedness of the music itself makes the night a joyful, life-affirming showcase of what the band have achieved in just a few short years. Closing the show with a jubilant, rowdy and playful rendition of their 2022 alt-country single Checking Out, the pure elation of live performance seems to radiate from the band and ripple through the crowd.