Ducks Ltd. @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 24 Aug

Usually Ducks Ltd. are a Canadian indie-pop duo consisting of singer and rhythm guitarist Tom McGreevy and lead guitarist Evan Lewis. But with Lewis off the road, tonight McGreevy has brought along replacement guitarist Kurt Marble, drummer Jonathan Pappo and livewire bassist Maddy Wilde for what the singer bills as “the most attention-seeking version of the band yet”

Before the headline event though, it’s time for indie supergroup Former Champ to squeeze their five members on Sneaky Pete’s tiny stage. Fronted by vocalist Claire McKay (Martha Ffion) and featuring members of Secret Motorbikes, Catholic Action and Savage Mansion, their combined number of previous appearances on this stage must run into the dozens, but it’s the first time in this permutation and the quintet are more than worth getting down early for.

It briefly looks like being a hot celebrity ticket – Viggo Mortensen is wandering around outside, but alas it appears that Aragorn has elsewhere to be. He’s missing out though, as Former Champ are on great form. There’s a touch of Pavement to their meandering lead guitar lines, but when they lock into a groove, you can hear both R.E.M. and Teenage Fanclub in their upbeat power-pop. McKay has a lovely voice – she’s probably tired of the comparisons to The Cranberries’ Dolories O’Riordan by now – and on tracks like porcelain and more than you give, her bandmates offer plenty of melodic flourishes of their own.

If you’re a fan of bands like The Drums or Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, you’ll probably love Ducks Ltd., four scruffy Canadians whose pacy indie-rock sound throws in occasional dashes of country and surf rock. Opening with the crisp Train Full of Gasoline, they sound great, both guitars locking in beneath McGreevy’s impassioned yelp.

Neither of Ducks Ltd.'s albums to date breaks through the half-hour mark, and their songs have a real “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” energy to them, with Cathedral City proving an early highlight. “Thanks for coming out on the last day of the festival," the singer declares as he launches into the breakneck Deleted Scenes. "It’s pretty crazy out there.”

There’s not masses of variety to their two albums but one new track does move steadily into more country territory with a little Johnny Cash swing beneath the fizzing guitars. Right now Sneaky Pete’s is the perfect size venue for their sound and sweaty energy, but they’re the kind of band you could see really exploding after a summer festival run. Harm's Way album closer Heavy Bag draws big grins and arms in the air, before the anthemic 18 Cigarettes brings the house down. They’re off without an encore.

It looks like we can add Toronto to the list alongside Glasgow and Atlanta as a mecca for power-pop. Bring on album number three.