Gig review: Young Knives

CHARMING unfashionability has practically been Young Knives' M.O. from the off – even when graduating beside their never-cool classmates Kaiser Chiefs and The Futureheads back in the mid-noughties, the Ashby-de-la-Zouch trio looked like misfits in their tweed suits, ties and gawky specs. That they've never exactly taken the world by storm – despite a Mercury Prize nomination for their 2006 debut album – isn't surprising, but then neither is their staying power, which has almost as much to do with the threesome's wickedly self-deprecating sense of humour as it does their consistently solid peppy indie songs.

Bassist Thomas Dartnall threatened "jazz poetry" if there were any lulls in the show, while his brother, singer and guitarist Henry Dartnall, had some choice opinions to share on his bandmate's attire.

The funky, synth-dashed Love My Name and Kinks-robbing new single Human Again revealed a desire to spruce up the Young Knives signature sound some on current LP Ornaments From the Silver Arcade, without dramatically altering the fundamentals of what they do best. Which is spiky English post-punk in the XTC and Gang of Four mould, as typified by the zinging Weekends and Bleak Days and Part Timer.

Their threat to "destroy you Glasgow" with the encore wasn't quite carried out, but an energetic closing triptych that included Dialing Darling and The Decision elicited a unanimously warm response from the near-capacity crowd that Young Knives are some way from outstaying their welcome yet.