Other Lives come to this gig on the back of the news that they will be supporting Radiohead on the first leg of their next North American tour. Exciting times for the five-piece and it really isn’t hard to see what Mr Yorke and co. see in them.  The Oklahomans’ Americana-tinged second full-length album, ‘Tamer Animals’, is a beautifully immersive record, an exciting mix of the ethereal and familiar.

They begin tonight’s proceedings with the cinematic ‘As I Lay My Head Down’, a beast of a tune that plays thumping drums against Jess Tabish’s lamenting vocal to great effect. It is both rousing and gorgeous, filling the stunning St Giles Church with its dramatic intensity. This band excel at the theatrical and the night continues in this vein, with Tabish’s voice often the anchor that keeps the crowd in the moment.

There are instances, however, when it doesn’t quite come together. While the contrast between Tabish’s pained vocal and the multi-instrumental excitement around him usually works, there are a couple of moments where you just wish he’d sing with a little more conviction to match the grandeur around him. Nitpicking aside, the majority of the set is wonderfully cohesive, with one track often blending seamlessly into the next, teasing the audience by not allowing them to give the applause that each song deserves.

There are plenty of standouts, with ‘For 12’ and a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Partisan’ probably the pick of the bunch. All in all, it’s a spellbinding evening of music and it’s just a shame that they aren’t returning to these shores again until April.

Jet Vevers