Scott & Charlene's Wedding @ The Shipping Forecast, 7 Aug

“Hope you know that I got no bitterness,” sings Craig Dermody during one of tonight’s rare tender moments. It’s difficult not to hear this as being central to the appeal of the displaced Australian’s band – wide-eyed romanticism is nice enough, but heart-on-sleeve optimism is positively endearing. It’s draped all over latest album Any Port In A Storm, suffusing his diary-extract lyrics with a casualness that belies their troubled subject matter, allowing songs about breakups (Spring St) and money worries (Jackie Boy) to feel like shrugs of que sera as opposed to one extended whine. These songs are earworms rather than anthems; gently melodic and unimposing. Infectious, but subtly so.

It’s the way they’re played that really sells 'em though. In between hits of cheap whisky, Dermody leans invitingly into the mic to sing with eyes shut tight, as though bending forward to share secrets with us, while the scruffy groove of the rhythm section provides a perfect backdrop for his unpolished holler. Off-key he may be, but the impassioned warmth of his delivery makes for a compelling spectacle. The tunes themselves are noisily despatched, recalling the lo-fi splendour of The Chills and dancing to the irregular thump of Comet Gain’s battered heart, while eardrum-lacerating layers of neo-psych guitar explorations send shivers racing nervously down the spine. By the set’s close, the band are all smiles and profuse thank yous, finally overpowered by the good vibes brightening the dingy confines of The Shipping Forecast. Even they’d admit it’s a helluva reception.