Live albums are fraught with potential pitfalls. Done too clinically, it can merely sound like the original recording with added applause. Do it too roughly, and all you’ve got is a recording of a gig, bad sound quality and all. Thankfully, Efterklang have confidentially steered between both extremes on this live version of their much acclaimed 2007 album, Parades.

The Danish four piece already has a strong reputation in Scandinavian music circles, where their combination of sweeping piano chords and soaring vocals inevitably draw comparisons with undisputed Nord-pop champions, Sigur Rós. However, unlike their Icelandic colleagues, Efterklang offer a far more accessible form of the genre. By singing in English, more reflective moments such as ‘Cutting Ice To Snow’ assume a more decipherable significance, whilst the crashing waves of drums on ‘Horseback Tenors’ illustrates their willingness to up the tempo when required. This makes the album far easier to appreciate in its own terms.

As a live recording the Danish National Chamber Orchestra also bring a great number of technical additions to the album, which is used to give Efterklangs grandiose brand of soaring, ethereal pop an additional layer of emotive drive. With the depth of sound available from the orchestra, the Sergeant Pepper like horn section on ‘Mirador’ is skilfully underpinned by a more melancholic violin structure, creating a sense of façade about the songs joyous themes. Similarly, album highlight ‘Frida Found a Friend’ sees the guitars of Rasmus Stolberg deliberately placed at odds with the glockenspiel led chorus, invoking images of underlying discord and chaos. The already atmospheric album thus acquires a layer of mystique, where the openly displayed emotion is rarely the reality.

All of which serves to illustrate the excellent calibre of this tragically little-known group. Performing Parades is a beautiful, complex and engaging album, layered with double-meanings and contrary themes. Absolutely brilliant.