Frightened Rabbit shouldn’t really be playing in a venue like this, should they? The Old Bridge Inn’s 100-something-and-a-dog capacity, banjo on the wall and quaint fireplace (thankfully not in operation tonight) belies the Selkirk band’s major label status, with the place perhaps more akin to seasoned whisky drinkers than rock and roll glitz. Still, Scotland’s Highlands and Islands continually seem to hold some sort of romantic magnetism for touring acts – maybe it’s something in the pure, icy air or the rolling hills – and this is no different for the Rabbit clan, who are in Aviemore tonight for one of a series of cosy northerly gigs.

Not that you can see the bloody band anyway, given the sheer number of bodies, heads, limbs and beating hearts between bar and stage. Good thing then that the Scots’ music makes up for the lack of visuals, with ‘The Modern Leper’, a keen jolt of bouncing indie-folk, which makes for a superb early set sweetener.

For those at the back twiddling imaginary thumbs and studying the intricacies of that lady’s haircut in front of them, all is not lost as mainman Scott Hutchison kindly gives them something to look at near the end of the set with an a cappella rendition of ‘Poke’, standing against one of the room’s four tiny walls with only an acoustic guitar in his sweaty mitts. It’s difficult not to find a shred of poignancy when a man eschews microphones and electricity for vocal cords and intertwines with mother nature, revelling in the lost art of oratory  – but hey, amplification is overrated anyway. With their maiden Atlantic Records release due to land soon, it is moments like this that you hope Frightened Rabbit won’t push aside and neglect – but the sneaky feeling emanating around this little mountain town is that they won’t forget nights like this for some time.

Chris Cope