On their last visit to Brighton, Rough Trade-signed Howler appeared to be admired exclusively by discerning, vinyl-clinching types of an age several years their senior. Nearly 18 months on, their demographic appears to have altered dramatically – tunnelled close enough to the stage to make crowd-surfing mandatory, the fans who crammed in to hear much of new album World Of Joy resembled the younger siblings of a quartet barely old enough to drink in their native Minnesota.

Even among an audience of slight teenagers, singer Jordan Gatesmith’s waifish build risked being dwarfed by his microphone. A ramshackle throwback to 1990s tapedeck indie, Gatesmith steals the Jesus and Mary Chain’s thrust with a wink, then adds a sheen of updated tom-toms and vaguely lovelorn lyrics – “I don’t even try anymore, ‘cos I’m afraid and I’m too shy” – with just enough substance to match all the style.

The new songs – of which the hook-heavy Indictment and snotty Don’t Wanna stood out – showed Howler on surfy, tinnier form. Old single Back Of Your Neck was played at three times the speed of its slumbering recorded incarnation, and the whole set clocked in at under 45 minutes, tailored to hold youthful, fickle attention spans.