M. Ward @ Gorilla, Manchester, 1 Sep

M. Ward has a reputation for delicacy and serenity. On the face of it, you can understand where the evidence stacks up in that regard. He sings in a husky croon, often opts for mellow soundscapes on his recorded output, and clearly has a yearning for the past that doesn’t sit especially comfortably in an era in which recording technology favours those minded towards digital solutions.

Plus, there’s probably a degree of guilt by association, too; when he made a record with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, they chose the self-deprecating moniker Monsters of Folk. He is, of course, one half of She & Him, too, serving as Zooey Deschanel’s foil – as The Guardian once put it when reviewing that band’s Christmas album, “fans of Dimmu Borgir need not apply.”

All of which is to say that it’s very easy to forget that the man is a virtuoso guitar player. Tonight’s show at Gorilla – his first headline turn in Manchester in more years than he cares to remember – serves as testament to his ability. After a sprightly support set from newly-minted Saddle Creek four-piece Big Thief, who serve as a nice complement to Ward’s style and provide compelling evidence that they’re a worthy addition to the Omaha label’s pantheon of folk rockers, proceedings proper open with a storming rendition of the instrumental surf-guitar piece Outro. The set’s largely an uptempo affair, with Ward backed by a full band and firing off vital renditions of old favourites (Poison Cup, Magic Trick, Rollercoaster) and choice cuts from this year’s terrific More Rain, with Girl from Canejo Valley a highlight.

Ward’s quiet wit only lets him down once, when he invites a chorus of boos by dedicating a cover of The Beatles’ Michelle to Liverpool on account of geographic proximity. There’s other takes on songs from outside his own catalogue, too – Rave On! by Sonny West makes the setlist, as does a rollicking rendition of John Fahey’s Bean Vine Blues #2. The highlight, though, is one of the evening’s few moments of genuine hush: a gorgeous, stripped-back Lullaby + Exile. Ward, even by the genre’s standards, is the quiet man of indie-folk, attracting a crowd well under capacity here. Even after eight solo records, he still feels like a well-kept secret.