A Silver Mt. Zion @ ABC, 1 Jun

A lot can be expected from the part-Godspeed progeny, but perhaps not humour. Swept up entirely in the 'post-rock' aching instrumentals, strengthened with insistent drumming and brought to life with the contrasting vocals and tiers of harmonies, this ran the gamut of everything a gig can be. Their epic sweep is almost the musical match of a Dickens novel: at once mysterious, sinister, involving, atmospheric, complex, and stirringly redemptive. Then, an unexpected relief from the intensity comes with Efrim Menuck's Sideshow-Bob hair and self-deprecation. There was even a refreshing burst of outright snobbery, with new track Blind Blind Blind dedicated to "Sauchiehall Street and all it's be-denimed and be-haltered glory." Reacting with generosity in the face of the crowd's ADD, they returned twice for encores with crowd-pleasers like There's A River In the Valley Made Of Melting Snow. "I think I just went through every emotion possible" someone said afterwards, and I couldn't have said it any better. [Caroline Hurley]