San Fermin: Live at Whelan's

Baroque pop is a familiar motif thanks to the world-conquering melodrama of Arcade Fire. San Fermin are worthy successors, hailing from various hipster enclaves around Brooklyn and led by the extravagantly-monikered, Yale-educated Ellis Ludvig Leone, who boasts a name that sounds likes a composer’s.

Their songs are performed with more urgency and volume than on record. Co-singer Rebekah Durham gives it socks even if Leone’s vocals don’t quite have the same consistency and effectiveness as in the studio. An unexpected cover of ‘Heart in a Cage’ by The Strokes receives an airing. Seeing as this is the second night of a European tour by a fledgling band, they are especially impressive (they played Cork the previous night). A few tweaks and road miles under their belt and they should evolve into a cracking live proposition.