Absolutely wild and insanely fun is the short review of Hinds' most recent show in Glasgow.

Reportedly their fourth in the city, clearly the Glaswegian crowds know by this point what the Madrid-based quartet are all about as the energy escalates to a euphoric climax from the beginning to messy end. I've somehow missed the previous three visits, which feels more like a sin than ever in tonight's religious venue, but I've finally received a refreshing taste of what I missing.

After some technical issues earlier on, their perpetual carefree attitude and infectious stage banter propels Hinds through their set with complete ease. Whilst the crowd is packed out and evidently eager to party, it isn't until the ferocious one-two of 'Easy' and 'Bamboo' later in the set that things really erupt, which the dancing and jostling breaking out in force.

Standing off to the side, it's a genuine pleasure to watch the band rock out with smiles on their faces as the crowd reflect their positivity. Following one of those predictable encores (yawn), the band finish things of in raucous style as the last song needs to be restarted after being halted to disperse a stage invasion.
Carlotta Cosials returns the favour by playing out the rest of the song on top of the crowd, bringing the night to a sweaty and jubilant end.

After missing Hinds various times, and painfully opting not to see them whilst in Barcelona, the quartet have injected a hearty dose of fun and sun into the Glaswegian winter, and put some fire in the heart of a very appreciative crowd.

After an Introducing piece and EP review of Holy Water in 2014, and a keen eye on the updates since, it was a pleasure to finally see Southampton's Laurel perform live in Glasgow recently.

Whilst the likes of ‘Memorials’ and most of the now London-based musician’s first material seemed to be steeped in haunting pop, her latest EP Park is primarily defined by its guitar-centred sound. Both flavours of music are equally enjoyable however, and allow for some welcome changes in pace when cycling through the back catalogue.

It's slightly surprising however when the earlier sound appears to be temporarily abandoned, as Laurel takes to the stage alone just after 21:00 with a guitar in hand. No synthesisers, no backing band, no unnecessary frills, just a woman and her guitar preparing to deliver a stripped back musical performance.

Showcasing a mere eight tracks, Laurel’s potent vocal dominates the room as it dances hand-in-hand with the gruff and distorted guitar melodies. ‘Too Far’ and ‘Hurricane’ help to advertise that latest EP with ease, whilst a high percentage of unreleased tracks affirm the wealth of material yet to come. ‘Adored’ specifically is stated as her own personal favourite, and the associated emotive delivery helps to secure it as a crowd favourite also.

For a first venture north into Scotland, the crowd is modest in size, but receptive of the entertainment which Laurel provides. The closing track, ‘Life Worth Living’, is well chosen as it’s clearly the most well-known and brings the crowd together for a closing sing and dance of the night.

With her lyrical content laced with themes of love and yearning, it’s certain to strike a chord with those both in and out of love, and with her talented execution Laurel is certain to pick up an abundance of new fans on this initial UK tour. A debut record and a greater spreading of the word will only bring bigger crowds, and I look forward to her hopefully triumphant return to this Scottish city.