Julien Baker @ Deaf Institute, Manchester, 6 Jun

There’s something about the phrase ‘solo set’ that inspires trepidation, particularly in reference to the singer of a punk band. Step forward, Worriers’ Lauren Denitzio, however – a songwriter whose capabilities shine brightly in either format.

While you might think that Worriers cuts like Cruel Optimist and gender thinkpiece They/Them/Theirs might suffer without the powerhouse drumming of the band's Mikey Erg, or those two guitars raging at full pelt, the stripped-down approach actually gives the songs room to breathe. What’s more, a coolly confident Denitzio gives every impression that they were written to be played in these precise iterations, and by the set’s close, it feels like a certain punk quartet are about to make an awful lot of new friends.

Still, everyone’s here – in a sold-out Deaf Institute – for tonight’s main act, and Julien Baker does not disappoint. Also performing solo, albeit assisted by a loop pedal and her own redoubtable guitar wizardry, the Memphis wunderkind turns in a genuinely stunning set, alternating between power and fragility via texture and melody with skilled grace. From the moment Sprained Ankle’s gentle harmonics introduce the show in haunting, instantly-arresting fashion, it’s clear we’re going to be in for a special night.

Polite and quiet, Baker barely speaks to the crowd, except to comment on the hushed reverence of those present and the awkwardness of tuning breaks. Not that anyone bemoans the absence of witty repartee; these songs are revelations, rendered even more powerful in the flesh than on her remarkable debut LP. The soft dynamics of Vessels frame her voice’s natural melancholy as expertly as Everybody Does articulates her knack for a simple, beautiful hook. Meanwhile, the performance is simultaneously committed and believable; she seems lost in the songs and the audience, in turn, lose themselves in the moment. Album number two arrives later this year: expect something special.