Pynch @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 21 Oct

In a sea of next-big-things and hyped-up BRIT School wannabes, finding genuine grassroots talent can be a challenge. Tonight is a good reminder of the importance of small venues like The Hug & Pint, who welcome London’s Pynch on an autumnal Glasgow night more suited to central heating and a box set. Those who brave the elements are rewarded with songs which never quite fit into a neat compartment but have one thing in common – a proudly DIY approach.

Marketplace have made the long trip from Hartlepool to open tonight, a valiant effort considering vocalist Evie Rhodes is on crutches and seated throughout. Their endearing pop, with echoes of Pip Blom, is delivered with an admirable sense of bravado.

Pynch have played Glasgow twice before, once opening for The Libertines at the Barrowlands, and their cinematic pop feels destined for a bigger stage, with tracks like 2009 and new album favourite Hanging on a Bassline begging to be sung back at them by an army of fans. Perhaps it’s their wilful determination not to be pigeonholed that is causing some to scratch their heads, but on tonight’s showing, watching them is a thrill. From classic indie, to shoegaze, to disco, to the stop-start melancholy of Revolve Around You, they keep listeners guessing.

Image: Pynch @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 21 Oct by Elliot Hetherton

Brothers Spencer and Scott Enock trade solos while keyboardist Myles Gammon always seems to have something different up his sleeve. At the back, Julianna Hopkins is perhaps one of the most propulsive drummers on the indie-rock scene, and it’s clear she’s having just as much fun as the audience, singing along whether she’s on backing vocals or not.

Somebody Else remains the biggest track Pynch have, and it sounds like a monster, stadium-sized hit, revving up the small but enthusiastic Hug & Pint crowd. With second album Beautiful Noise just released, it’s a treat to see a band evolving and not afraid to take risks.