Spare Snare & De Rosa @ The Great Eastern, Glasgow, 12 Oct

David MacGregor of Kid Canaveral makes one of his first appearances as Broken Chanter first, in a support slot, alongside violinist Jill O’Sullivan from Sparrow and the Workshop and BDY_PRTS. MacGregor is instantly endearing as he reveals the origin of the project's name, which came from the unskilled way in which he would play with the "noisiest part of the bagpipe" as a child, despite his family’s failed attempts to hide it from him. It is clear that the music holds deep personal meaning for MacGregor, whose voice is reminiscent of James Graham from The Twilight Sad and the late Scott Hutchison from Frightened Rabbit, and he appears liberated taking up his natural place as a solo artist. Broken Chanter’s sound is glacial with a Nordic folk chill; the lyrics reach great depth, resonating with the audience as O’Sullivan’s notes shimmer like wavering ribbons of light, her voice harmonising beautifully and creating real warmth in the hearts of the listeners.

Dundee band Spare Snare have received great attention for their very literally-titled latest album Sounds, recorded by Steve Albini. Vocalist Jan Burnett seems irked as he recalls performing before a much smaller audience after the release of the band's 2017 album Unicorn in Glasgow last year. Beginning like a horse breaking out of the stalls too soon, the band is at risk of leaving the audience behind in what is an extraordinarily energetic opening to their set. Their performance is upbeat, capturing the spirit of DIY with jangling melodies and Blur-esque guitar riffs. Highlights include We Are the Snare, where the band are joined onstage by Emma Pollock, who supplied backing vocals on the new album, and trumpet player Ali Hendry, of Randolph's Leap.

De Rosa bring the event to a close, delivering a humble yet sublime set full of gothic beauty. Vocalist Martin John Henry complains of a cold, but this is barely detectable as the band perform effortlessly. Their sound is powerful, with bold harmonies between Henry and the formidable keys player, as the audience gather around the stage like shadows, or the spectres Henry sings of, standing still yet deeply moved by the music. The band play through a selection of older tracks, such as Spectres and Devils from their 2016 album Weem, as well as newer ones, like It Helps to See You Hurt from their 2017 album Prevention, before finishing to the sound of cries for an encore.