IT has been a while since I was as excited by rock music as I was when listening to Trembling Bells at The Basement on Tuesday evening. The last time would have been when I first heard The Velvet Underground.

As Trembling Bells kicked off with the song Dancing On The Breath Of God – an unaccompanied duet performed by Lavinia Blackwall, lead vocals, and Alex Neilson, drums and vocals – I realised after about a minute that listening to this band borders on a spiritual experience.

The evening started with an acoustic solo set by The Horse Loom's Steve Malley, who played some excellent original folk songs. It is clear that he is a very talented guitarist from his captivating instrumental pieces. Following him was Alasdair Roberts, who played a 50-minute set of folk songs that, for me, unfortunately didn’t match the level of Trembling Bells.

Trembling Bells' eclectic range of talents culminate in a highly unique sound. Lavinia’s voice is almost operatic and it resounded across the intimacy of the low ceilinged room. The music progressed from what seems to be traditional folk into progressive folk-rock, shifting the dynamics of their sound seamlessly.

By the end of the night I was absolutely hooked on this Scottish band and I must admit, though without too much shame, I almost acted like a star-struck stalker as I purchased their latest record, The Sovereign Self, and asked bass player Simon Shaw and Lavinia to sign it for me.