St Spirit @ The Bowery, London

This past month has seen London quintet St Spirit go from playing an opening support slot to headlining a rammed-to-the-rafters Bowery to coincide with the release of their first single, on a Wednesday night. So far, so good.

This unassuming group of 19 year olds wander, almost apologetically, onto the stage into opener 'Sweat' revealing at first just an acoustic guitar and immaculate 5-part vocal harmonies, which lead the song to an emotive crescendo. Think along the tender-but-tense Radiohead lines. Before the crowd has an opportunity to ruthlessly applaud they storm into the next song.

Throughout the set they revisit moments of the cinematic and anthemic indie rock endeavoured to the likes of The Cooper Temple Clause or the short lived, but equally as magnificent, Hope of the States. But the heavier moments lend themselves to the rich chordal harmony of Jeff Buckley or the bittersweet melody of My Bloody Valentine, with some of the more accessible elements of Sonic Youth, or say The Mars Volta.

But forget musical references; the band's dynamic is the thing that really captures you: songs such as single 'Build A Life' might feature colliding harmonies, thrashing cymbals and crashing guitars - but they also pause for a single moment to reveal just a solitary guitar line tinkering along before the explosion happens again.

In your lounge this will sound great but you have the comfort of your surroundings. On the CD player in your car it will sound magnificent, but legally is not allowed your full attention. Live is where these tracks and this band come to life.

There's nothing to say they have innovated the notion of guitar-based rock, but St. Spirit and all their intricacies become a declamatory but somewhat modest statement, and in 2011 they are quite simply a breath of fresh air for new British music.