Joan As Police Woman @ The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 17 Apr

Joan Wasser’s emergence under her Joan As Police Woman guise back in 2004 brought a weighty expectation. Having been the partner of nineties deity Jeff Buckley at the time of this passing and a collaborator with the likes of Anthony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright, she was always going to deliver something truly special: debut album Real Life proved to be an impressive, musically mature offering, pushing her fame well past that of her proxy. From therein, Wasser has emerged as a true talent in her own right, this evening showcasing her fifth studio outing Damned Devotion.

The set starts with that album's opener, Wonderful: a sultry offering, gently undressed to little more than skeletal drums, a drifting bassline and Wasser’s always emotive vocals. Warning Bell and Tell Me follow, providing us with the record's emotionally tumultuous trio of opening tracks, with the latter lamenting the uncertain nature of love before Eternal Flame – arguably the best known track from her standout debut – is reimagined in sultry slow motion.

For the highlight of our evening (Honor Wishes), the stage dims to almost complete darkness with Wasser’s dusky vocals dominating. And it’s in these moments, with nothing to distract from her mesmerising voice, that her true talent shines through.

Though between these darker moments of brilliance Wasser proves an engaging presence: Valid Jagger may be a bruising piece, however her pre-song chat has the audience laughing and gently heckling, whilst the excellent What Was It Like receives an endearingly honest introduction, as she openly talks about the love she has for her father.

In fact, despite the weight of her new material, Joan Wasser appears to be in a positive place, clearly enjoying the set. Finishing the three song encore with a strutting rendition of Prince's Kiss is testament to that. It’s by no means the best placed song to showcase her talent, though tonight provides a perfect balance of light against her finer, darker moments.