大象传媒

Ed Zealous have been hiding away from audiences for a while now. Some say that they've been living in a Tibetan monastery in order to find inner peace before they return to Belfast. Others believe that they simply haven't had the time to play gigs.

Whatever the reason, they certainly did themselves justice in their support slot for Wolf Parade. "Talk With Your Hands" is a glorious piece of infectious synth-laden pop with a simple yet effective guitar riff, while Stephen McAvoy is on top of his game as he finds that tricky middle line between being sharp and distinctive vocally, or just plain shouting.

If one thing could be criticised it would be their stage presence and crowd interaction: it is tricky for a support act to create a good atmosphere but it did feel as if there was a fourth wall in the Spring & Airbrake. Either way, we've missed you, Ed Zealous.

Wolf Parade have spawned various side projects - Handsome Furs and Sunset Rubdown, to name but two. This means that there are effectively three frontmen in this four piece, but ultimately this stickytaped-together musical enterprise appears to be succeeding. With disjointed keyboard parts and a search for a quirky lo-fi sound, there's never really a chance to let the music wash over the audience as they're constantly intrigued and surprised as to where things are going茂驴陆it's all a bit bizarre, to be honest.

The role of lead vocalist is passed around from song to song as Spencer Krug's stark, David Byrne-like vocals resonate on "What Did My Lover Say" (with a guitar part Talking Heads would be proud of) and "I'll Believe In Anything"- two tracks with a deceptively simple drumbeat effectively filling the void left by the sparse instrumentation. 听When it's time for Dan Boeckner to shine on new album hightlight "Palm Road", bellowing "you say it's killing me, it's killing me..." full of emotion, it becomes clear to see how this double act is meant to work. Krug and Boeckner duel with each other as to which route the band is to go down; art school troubadours, or the Great American novel in song.

The crowd tonight is surprisingly few in number, and there's a definite unfamiliarity with the newer material judging by the reactions and applause. Towards the end of proceedings things get a little more upbeat and the audience even begin to dance as the classic tracks are wheeled out, with "You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son" and "California Dreamer" becoming the clear highlights of the evening.

There are bands that are easier to listen to, and at times you do have to wonder if the band even know which direction they're going in. As a whole it's a good performance and long awaited appearance in Belfast from Wolf Parade, but we must wonder where the future lies for these guys.

Patrick Kane