Iron & Wine @ The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 25 Oct

With a handheld harp, an accompanying guitarist unafraid of shredding it up and an immediately regretted Braveheart reference, Lizzie No is injecting a fresh energy into the world of rootsy Americana. Drawing mostly from Halfsies (she remembered to give it a shoutout, A+ from the management), No speaks to the dangers of life on the road on Annie Oakley and their own self-sabotaging tendencies on Deadbeat. A realist, but not a pessimist, No acknowledges our current dark times, but that only serves as fuel for action instead of apathy.

Cast an eye across the stage ahead of the main act – Iron & Wine – and the band set-up for the evening can be seen: percussion, double bass, (many) guitars, viola, violin, keys... But off to one side is an intriguing projector/screen; unless you're familiar with the details of this tour it's not an easy one to guess. As the band launch into a pitch-perfect On Your Wings we have the answer: shadow puppets! That's right, not content with simply delivering brilliant songs with a crack five-piece band, Sam Beam has enlisted Manual Cinema (as seen in the 2021 Candyman remake) to bring a little shadow puppet magic as accompaniment.

However, the quality of the music means it's never outshone by the novel choice of visuals. The percussion is constantly shape-shifting with bells and shells, brushes and boxes, while the string duo bring a sense of majesty to offset Beam's twangy acoustic guitar and Katie Ernst's double bass. Lizzie No takes Fiona Apple's part in All In Good Time, a highlight from the recent album, and wisely avoids imitating Apple's unique cadence. A trio of songs performed by Beam alone emphasises his lyrical touch and demonstrates that he's equally adept with complex, bold arrangements (see: Caught in the Briars) as he is with solo acoustic. The audience is quiet and respectful all night, but you could hear a pin drop during Upward Over the Mountain, such is the reverence and awe around the room.

Beam is in good spirits and chats endearing nonsense all night, genuinely savouring the crowd's appreciation on his first “solo” show in Scotland in over six years. Call It Dreaming ends the main set, and Autumn Town Leaves starts the encore after the tiniest of breaks. But it's breathtaking closer Flightless Bird, American Mouth that really brings home the depth of this generational talent. The intensity increases throughout the song, even as the arrangement quietens despite its growing intricacy. And then Beam takes a powerful – almost a capella – turn which shows off his underappreciated vocal range, before bringing it all home.

Iron & Wine may be seen as breezy folk tunes, but tonight's performance shows Beam is a level above in terms of songwriting. And his ability to bring so many elements together into an effortless, cohesive and engaging show only reinforces his prowess.