Marika Hackman @ King Tut's, Glasgow, 19 Nov

Marika Hackman is the half-Finnish London-based songwriter behind one of 2017’s best songs, the supremely clever kiss-off Boyfriend; a track that sees our whip-smart narrator steal a girl from a boorish gent and, over a killer riff, neatly observes the double standards to which LGBT relationships are held. Tonight she’s in town for a sell out show at Glasgow’s most famous small venue.

After a brief set from indie grunge up-and-comers Our Girl – think Wolf Alice crashing a house party – it’s time for the main event with Hackman and her trio of backing musicians taking to the stage. Under sharp lighting, bold letters spell out Hackman’s name on a stage banner, obscuring the iconic King Tut's logo at the back of the stage.

Tonight, Marika Hackman comes equipped with a barnful of great melodies and a host of hooks, delivered by a great band, who lend her catchy tales of young romance and misanthropy plenty of energy. She also has one special quality that sets her above her indie peers: a warmth and wit that shines through to an enthusiastic crowd. It’s no surprise that a songwriter who titled her record I’m Not Your Man in a lopsided tribute/pastiche of Leonard Cohen is a likeable presence, but when she sings tracks like My Lover Cindy, the crowd lap up every second.

“I wanted to be a doctor but I had no patients”, deadpans her bassist during a brief lull as Hackman changes guitars, but then it’s on with a rapid fire hour-or-so, culminating in a singalong version of Boyfriend that gets the biggest cheers of the night.

Encoring with Cigarette and Apple Tree, two of her folkier tracks, offers a welcome change of pace from the garage rock rat race but welcoming her bandmates back to the stage for one last blowout, Hackman brings the show to a close with the bratty Blahblahblah; a final catchy ode to teenage exuberance. As a way of stamping your name into King Tut's history, it’s a perfect ending to a show that – bar a few murky vocals – was the perfect showcase for an artist destined for great things.