Rapids! @ Club Fandango: Buffalo Bar, London

Youth and exuberance – some love it, some hate it. This is particularly the case when one considers that big old beast: the music industry. While some crusties live for the day when Cream reign supreme again, we at Artrocker love nothing more than basking in the glow of those undimmed young hopefuls.

So it’s with equal amounts trepidation and excitement that we head long to see Rapids! for tonight’s Club Fandango. As first on the bill and with a brief slot to fill there’s no time for cold feet on either side as, striking between the eyes, frontman Matt Holliday has definitely studied the art of performance.

Despite starting the set floor-gazing, he is engaging and swinging his hands with a passionate desperation that singing emotive lyrics demands if you want them to be received with sincerity. Before we get comfortable with the gestures, there’s ‘Economics’ to shake up the vibe, bringing in murmurs of bass and an exasperated vocal.

Where the lyrics can sometimes get a bit woolly, the drummer has a light deft touch to combat these and keep the ball rolling. While guitarist Rob Murray's best efforts to usurp themselves by mentioning the rest of the night’s line up early in the set is endearing, it’s also an unnecessary sabotage as the songs are really holding us by the throat. This is particularly true of ‘Inland Empire’, which as a new track feels progressive and proves a more reflective listen.

Where the opening songs pull at Placebo heartstrings, the third is surprisingly lighter-footed and a bit Good Books. The fractured guitars show the group have an adept feel for the racing energy of Bloc Party, and they make a marathon race between rhythm and melodic sections. The stage is barely big enough for the furtive half dances/half running as Matt convulses to the floor for the final strains of their set. Yes, Rapids! are definitely bright young things.