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Things are evidently going well for Casiokids; there was last year’s irresistible ‘Fot I Hose’ 7”, a string of riotous festival shows, a singles and remix compilation due out in their native Norway and a Hot Chip support eventually dovetailing into a US tour with multiple shows in New York and Texas SXSW. And here they are tonight for their own headline show at the Barfly; a feverish sold out crowd jostling with Steve Lamacq no less, their parent label Moshi Moshi and pockets of London’s indie cognoscenti for space.

Maybe I was seeing double that last time I caught them, hell, it was 2am on the Saturday night at Bestival after all, but tonight’s Casiokids line-up appears to have almost halved in size. And, disappointingly, some of the thrill of their disco-punk-meets-Royksopp-twinkle has gone with it. Perhaps this is them showcasing a deeper, more considered direction? Or perhaps constraints demand that they tour as a smaller number? Whatever it is, tonight’s set seems to be weighted in favour of trackier, elongated jams, many of which lack character and definition of their sparky singles. A glut of tracks across the middle seem all too reliant on looping grooves topped off with washes of indistinct keyboards and choruses of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’. Coupled with the incomprehensible vocals (in fairness, they are singing in Norwegian) at times they sound like Sigur Ros gone disco. For some, this is evidently a heavenly proposition, – the front six rows continue bopping away regardless – but to these ears a live dance-party band really needs something of the art-school twitch of Talking Heads or perhaps lack the druggy abandon of !!! to really register. Tonight, Casiokids seem too polite and restrained to really land.

Still, they are still impressively tight, drums and bass are punchy and driving and their multi-layered harmonies are spot on throughout. And at least they look like they are having a good time, exchanging grins and freaky dance moves from the off. Dedicating a song to their guitarist’s birthday, (Ivor Cutler’s ‘Darling Will You Marry Me Twice’) neatly compliments the plaintive tone of their own material and certainly the closing rendition of ‘Fot I Hose’ is a timely reminder of what pricked our ears in the first place – it’s jelly wobble bass line ducking in and out a vaguely sinister topline. Otherwise though, this was a disappointing showing from a band I desperately wanted to like.