This ambassadorial welcome was in recognition of British Sea Power's Czech recording sessions and lyrics extolling the virtues of Eastern European immigrants. But the gig was actually in the embassy's cultural centre, a venue disappointingly akin to a sixth-form common room.

Fortunately, the songs from the Brighton-based group's third album Do You Like Rock Music? were often imposing enough.

Yet despite some vertiginous musical heights, there was something jarring about this comeback from one of our most intriguingly bold bands.

Perhaps it was the nature of the album launch: an unburdening of new songs that left you trying to catch up with their latest musical directions. Nevertheless, brothers Neil and Scott Wilkinson made an effective pairing.

Atom clattered and crashed, with the band's violinist almost making them live up to Arcade Fire comparisons, while No Lucifer featured a Big Daddy chant of "Easy, Easy".

New single Waving Flags felt a bit obvious post-Editors and Athlete, even if it had more finesse than both.

The older, thundering song Spirit of St Louis finally earned them an ecstatic reaction. Despite such thrills, British Sea Power really had too many ideas for one band.