Victor Villarreal @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 12 Apr

Victor Villarreal is a thoroughly endearing figure. Softly-spoken, sweetly cheerful and endlessly affable, he just happens to be one of the most unique guitar geniuses to emerge from the difficult-to-define sphere of indie rock, largely known for his work alongside Chicago’s idiosyncratic polymath Tim Kinsella in Cap’n Jazz, Owls and Joan of Arc. He’s also a survivor of drug issues and mental illness (“It oftentimes feels like it wants to consume me, like it wants to end me,” he’s said of his ongoing struggles with depersonalisation disorder, adding that he finds solo performance to be a particular challenge), and there are times during the set when the strain becomes apparent.

Operating as a one-man band, he occasionally drops kick-drum beats, openly fails to find the correct note or, at times, even seems to lose his place. The atmosphere in Sneaky Pete’s (disappointingly sparsely-attended tonight) is affectionate and encouraging, however – put plainly, everyone here wants to see Victor succeed. Not because of his widely-documented problems, not because of his musical history, but because everyone here knows what he's capable of. Even in trying circumstances, it’s clear that he’s a tremendous musician.

We largely get songs from last year’s Sleep Talk LP; a collection of delicate, deceptively complex pieces that unfold like blooming petals, taking the enigmatic flow of his liquid-soft guitar picking – think John Fahey, think Nic Jones; you’re almost halfway there – as their frame. There are clear echoes of Owls’ elliptical menace, albeit without their rhythmic complexity, although Victor’s voice lacks the presence of longtime friend Kinsella.

That’s ok though; numbers like My Halucidaydream have a gentle personality of their own and their force of their fragility becomes remarkably moreish as the set evolves. By the end of the set, after laughing good-naturedly upon learning that the venue isn’t actually named ‘Stinky Pete’s’, it’s clear that none of the shakiness matters. Victor Villarreal isn’t just a great guitarist, he’s also a still-evolving songwriter with a knack for subtlety and beauty. Don’t let his unique charm pass you by.