Liam Frost and the Slowdown Family @ King Tut's

When Liam Frost And The Slowdown Family stride onstage wearing outfits involving tweed, you expect indie for farmers to spill forth, so when they unleash meticulously crafted yet anthemic tunes that out-rock many so-called rock bands, it's something of a surprise, and we may be witnessing the birth of a new genre: hardcore folk anybody?

The musicianship on display here is astounding (who else throws in an auto-harp mid-set?), and when Mornings At St Paul's reaches its roaring climax, it's nothing less than spiritual. However, the gorgeous, melodic side of songs like Is This Love and Paper Boats is brilliantly balanced by deranged one-liners from Frost, an endearing half-cut frontman whose impromptu rendition of Lisa Stansfield's Been Around The World with a finale of "I'm gonna find him, even if I have to cut him up" is a contender for Best Onstage Banter Of All Time.

By delivering beautiful, inventive songs with a knowing smile, Liam Frost has shown that singer-songwriters can (whisper it) have a sense of humour about themselves, and for that, he must be applauded. [Heather Crumley]