On a cold, wet Sunday evening, Chad Valley returned to the clutches of the Blessing Force crowd in Oxford to play his sun-soaked Balearic beast of a debut LP, Young Hunger. The LP came out in the US earlier this month, and saw Hugo Manuel, the man behind Chad Valley (and part of Jonquil) playing shows in America to promote it. So, tonight’s show felt like a triumphant homecoming for one of Oxford’s many talented musical exports.

One of the most interesting elements of Chad Valley’s music is how different it is from not only Jonquil, but much of the music that the Blessing Force crew put together. In support were Solid Gold Dragons and Trophy Wife, two examples of the difference between the collective’s sounds.

Solid Gold Dragons could be lazily tagged as an indie band with haircuts, headbands and a trumpet. However, they proved themselves to be better than any tired cliché that one could possibly throw at them. They make smart use of the trumpet in particular, with its sparse and brief appearances playing up its value, and helping to add an extra level of depth to their sound.

Trophy Wife, off on tour with Foals very soon, provided some jittery guitar fun. The use of a drum machine jags the other instruments, also providing sharper edges compared to how their tracks sound on record. ‘Canopy Shade’ – the lead track from their 2011 EP Bruxism – sounded tight and compact, the keys orbiting around.

Then the main event, Chad Valley. From the first chorus on the first track played, album opener ‘I Owe You This’, it was an instant transformation from what preceded. There was an eruption of technicolour as a huge lighting rig blasted out vivid, primal colours. Huge waves of synths, beats and Hugo’s impressive vocal range washed over the crowd.

Chad Valley’s sound is pitched somewhere between chillwave and 80s synth electro, occasionally erupting into big, euphoric choruses. ‘Fall 4 U’ starts off timidly, easing itself in as Hugo flips flippantly between falsetto and a more traditional vocal sound. For the high notes, he occasionally pushes up on the ceiling to help achieve them, but his ability to switch back and forth is impressive. Thick electro beats and an urgent switch in the synth signify the arrival of a booming chorus.

The whole atmosphere felt euphoric and high, evoking the spirit of the Balearics. Unfortunately, this atmosphere caused at least one couple to go into full-on ‘first holiday without parents’ mode, doing their best to make babies through at least two layers of clothing. If they were successful, they should at least have the decency to call the little tyke Chad. Or Valley. Or Trophy Wife.

Hugo was joined on stage by a female vocalist for the majority of the show. She filled in, for several of the guest verses present on the LP, from the likes of Twin Shadow and Glasser, and provided a counterpoint for Hugo to pitch against. This worked nicely on an older track from last year’s EP, ‘Now That I’m Real’. Being an Oxford show, it seemed only logical that Jack Goldstein of Fixers would be around to chip in on his guest spot on the smooth grooves of ‘My Girl’. With a boisterous sell-out crowd, the colourful live show was an apt transference of the party atmosphere of the record.