Little Green Cars, Manchester Soup Kitchen, 27th Feb 2013 9.5/10

All I'd heard of Little Green Cars was a short EP, and yet I was incredibly excited, given the buzz around them in the blogosphere. They've recently toured with Jake Bugg and been shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, whilst their debut album is being produced by Markus Dravs who's worked with Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons. I felt incredibly privileged to see them on their first UK tour, all six of them crammed onto the stage of an intimate venue. On the evidence of my gig of 2013 so far, they're surely destined for much larger things.

Like the very credible support band, Gypsies on the Autobahn, they're based in Dublin, and I'd expected them to be a variant on the nu folk of Mumford and Sons. However, the first two songs, performed acoustically, were more reminiscent of a mixed gender version of the Staves, but with four part rather than three part harmony. Audaciously, they started a capella, and the rapt concentration in the room was palpable, as they rendered everyone spellbound. Then they exploded into life with the addition of bass, drums and guitars, with unexpected energy.

Influences such as Bob Dylan and Band of Horses have been mentioned, but they draw on a wider tradition than folk, and at times the intensity reminded me of Warpaint. With time, their stagecraft will improve, and as they move to larger venues they'll need to engage the audience more consciously with gestures, as do Of Monsters and Men. They will also develop a larger body of music, so they can play for longer than an hour, and probably develop more between song conversation. Yet none of this mattered last night.

Little Green Cars has that ability to energise a space, and to transport you away from the present. It's in part due to the fact that they play so tightly, and listen to each other keenly. They're not afraid to play quietly, and have the confidence to exploit a wide dynamic range, more akin to an orchestral concert than a rock gig. One blogger remarked after seeing them that there's a gospel ambiance to the set. He must have been referring to their remarkable vocal harmonisation, but what they've done is akin to Haim. The product of our iTunes age, they've drawn on a vast body of western music instantly accessible, and created an original blend based on layers of sound. Much though I love the Lumineers, I feel Little Green Cars' music is more forward looking, and they're more willing to take risks.

I suspect most of the audience, like me were listening to the majority of these songs for the first time. Even the singles Harper Lee and John Wayne were not sing alongs in the way that say Little Talks is from Of Monsters and Men. Yes, the chord sequences are simple, but it feels as if Little Green Cars has greater musical ambition. Already the range of their set feels almost symphonic, the lyrics are heartfelt and the vocals from co lead Faye O'Rourke are powerfully atmospheric. As one of the two encores, we heard My Love Took Me Down To The River To Silence Me, beautifully constructed with poignant, dark words. I doubt I'll have the opportunity to experience them at such close quarters again, but I already have plans to go to two festival of their festival appearances, and you can be certain I'll not be missing their future shows here.

Of Monsters and Men, Manchester Academy 1, 24th Feb 2013 9/10

Of Monsters and Men played one of my favourite sets of Reading Festival last year, so my excitement at seeing them on home ground was considerable. I didn't even care that patience was stretched by the long wait for a  lacklustre support band, and with only one album released, that they played for little more than an hour. Whilst I was hoping for some new material, this wasn't to be. Yet, this was such an overwhelmingly joyful occasion, one that still has me on a high 24 hours later.

Their musical material isn't particularly original: as befits Iceland's geographical location, it could be described as mid way between Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The instrumentation owes something to Arcade Fire: trumpet plays a prominent role, as does accordion, and of course acoustic guitar. The other common ground with the Canadian band is the energy level: even in the quieter songs the audience's attention was held totally, despite the large venue I'd found noisy for The Lumineers a few days' earlier.

There was little between song banter, and few gimmicks: just foot stomping melodies, delivered with gusto and genuine pleasure. Their stagecraft and delivery is full of character, and the charismatic vocals of Nanna Bryndís were compelling. I was stood in full view of drummer Arnar Rósenkranz, who attacked with relentless energy. These are performers who give all to the audience, enjoying themselves so tangibly that their love for music and fun is infectious. The subject matter- lakes and mythology- gives it a distinctive Icelandic flavour, whilst the closing Yellow Light had a moving, visionary quality.

Their hit, Little Talks, predictably worked the audience into a frenzy, yet the album My Head is An Animal is devoid of fillers. In truth, the formula of a gradual build up from solo acoustic guitars and vocals to the full band can become a little predicable, but it's churlish to complain when it's such a party. It's the polar opposite of classical music (which I still love), whose appeal is in the intellectual complexity of structural development: this is of the moment, a visceral experience with a direct connection to the serotonin receptors in the brain. For this reason, I'll be reluctant to miss any of their future shows here, and I'm already excited to be seeing them at Coachella in April.