Shearwater @ Stereo, 28 Jul

Stripped back to just founder member Jonathan Knight, My Cousin I Bid You Farewell's music arguably benefits from the increased intimacy of its current format. A healthy and respectful crowd savours the enduring Glaswegian's distinct and emotive voice and as a result the evening starts off in considerable style.

Berlin-based pianist Nils Frahm follows. Falteringly polite and softly-spoken, the contrast between his flamboyant persona during songs and between them is bordering on savant. His undulating compositions bring to mind Clint Mansell's collaboration with Kronos Quartet on the soundtrack to Aronofsky's The Fountain and, for the bulk of his set at least, tonight's audience are captivated.

Having successfully negotiated a few early technical issues with some impromptu humour, Shearwater's set is predominantly taken from recent opus The Golden Archipelago much to the room's delight. Black Eyes is greeted with particular whoops from a front row enthusiastically singing along. Sadly there are a few classics missing from tonight's set but the songs that do make the cut are almost faultlessly delivered. He of the silken tonsils, Jonathan Meiburg, seems in good spirits throughout via good-natured exchanges with the crowd and the mood is largely in contrast to the sombre tone of much of his material. Indeed minor chords and smiling faces rarely mix so well. [Chris Cusack]

The Skinny previewed this Shearwater performance here.