Mitski @ Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 10 Mar

Packed house. Clamouring chatter. Drinks flowing (and spilling). Unfazed musicians. And this is just the support act, Personal Best. Walking a fine line between indie-rock and pop-punk, the Bristol outfit bring a set of tight, punchy songs, commanding attention with an air of veritable nonchalance. With the crowd energised, the between-set atmosphere is electric.

Enter Mitski; enigmatic but playful, looking the audience up and down, brooding, allowing a moment of pregnant expectation to build, before easing into the mellow tones of Dan the Dancer. The set is mainly drawn from last year's Puberty 2 and 2014's Bury Me at Makeout Creek; the slow burning odes mixed in with the scrappy bangers. Your Best American Girl ignites the most predictably strong reaction from the sold-out crowd, but it is by no means the only sing-along of the night, as the audience try to keep up with My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars or try to match the poignant fragility of A Burning Hill.

Mitski keeps the direct interaction to a minimum, just offering a couple of choice quips about her plan to become the new Bond and her pride in being able to break through society's misogynistic norms. But her connection to the audience is palpable, especially during the final few tracks that she delivers solo. She lets the music speak for itself, providing a direct emotional outlet that allows for a reciprocity between artist and spectator. Her affective, impassioned lyrics do some of the work in this process, but it's her skill as a performer that facilitates a connection that is more deeply felt.