Having already heard the Decibels’ debut single The Lesser, it was a sense of bored trepidation that accompanied the journey to the single launch at The Wheelbarrow, Camden. It seemed to lack extensive originality and signified a band whose talent was admirable, but not notable.

The first hint of my misconception was the quantity of instruments packed onto the small stage. Once they took to the stage a detailed head count was required as more members seemed to step out of the shadows and reveal yet another synth. Can this complexity really be justified for a single that inspired such generic ambivalence?

It would seem, unsurprisingly, that demos can be deceptive. As the members rolled around the pack of instruments with the careful sophistication of an OK Go video, the audience were sucked into the performance and drawn away from the pub surroundings. With a sound that recalled the works of The Rapture and The Klaxons, it is admirable how the band managed to signal both technicality and a rousing charm. It is nice to feel that they are a band who really ‘know music’, without the feeling that they are trying to stamp their image with that patronising badge

It is a shame that their production does not yet match their potential, but people should absolutely go and see this band’s excellent live set as soon as possible; just don’t necessarily listen to the single first.