While most can be found sipping ale in public houses across the country this evening, watching the European Cup slip in an unfortunate manner from the hands of Liverpool FC, some of us have defied convention and stand in the throng of Oxford Street's 100 Club. Unfortunately, however, not many have followed our lead – the venue is half empty. The few that are in attendance needn't have bothered, either, really: their support is lackluster throughout. Through no fault of the band themselves, too.

Annuals have built a name for themselves through their intense live shows. Helped / hindered (delete as appropriate) by comparisons to Arcade Fire, Animal Collective and Broken Social Scene, they have also gained praise from some very respectable acts through a string of recent support slots with the likes of Blonde Redhead, The Walkmen and Kaiser Chiefs. So here we are, almost alone and standing with overpriced beer in hand, to see just what all this fuss is about.

Maybe the fact that they have only officially released one EP in the UK (entitled Big Zeus, questionably reviewed here - their debut album Be He Me is available on import now, with the domestic release due on June 18) means that a poor attendance is unsurprising, but Annuals are a band that really do deserve attention. Why? When they are good they are one of the most refreshing bands emerging from the US scene. When they aren't, though, it all plods a bit – like Arcade Fire (sorry), albeit without the peaks. Thankfully, these moments are few. The light and airy ‘Ease My Mind’ is beautifully melodic, in the same vein as anything Broken Social Scene have previously mustered. The dynamic and lofty ‘Father’ explodes like a firework around the 100 Club, ending in a crescendo of noise. The new U2-esqe ‘Do You Like It?’, a cinematic track better suited to stadiums than a half-empty 100 Club, gets a run out. And as they sing the chorus line "I don't know what to do for you / I don't know what's best for you" during standout track ‘Carry Around’ its irony, considering the lifeless crowd participation during the show, is not lost. What do you want them to do for you, guys? Bleed?

For a band with an average age of just 20 years, Annuals perform with intensity and vigor beyond their years. Lead singer Adam Baker uses up every ounce of energy; the others are animated, whilst avoiding any overly theatrical silliness at times rife on the live scene within this experimental-pop-electronic-folk-rock genre. Each member is also quite the multi-instrumentalist; they regularly swap instruments and, for the most part, drummer Nick Radford is accompanied on a second kit by guitarist Zack Oden, who plays with effectiveness and accuracy. Unforgettable is the aesthetically-pleasing Anna Spence on keys, tugging the heart strings of every red-blooded male in the audience tonight with her graceful air of mystique. Oh, Anna…

This lackluster support from the audience though ultimately means we miss out on some of Annuals’ standout tracks, which the band appear to save for a sadly non-existent encore. There’s no ’Bleary Eyed’, for one. Leaving the stage slightly fazed but holding their heads high, Annuals now head north; they will apparently frequent the UK this summer, too. Catch them whilst you can still get a ticket is this individual’s advice, even if the 100 Club majority appear less than overwhelmed.