In January 2010, Montreal indie prog-folk quartet Patrick Watson, led by the multi-instrumentalist and lead whisperer of the same name, took to the stage in the intimate setting of Grappa's Cellar, Central, and proceeded to knock the sold-out, jam-packed crowd on their collective butt.

Slack jaws aside, many may argue that this intense carnivalesque performance was equalled, even bettered, when baroque fiddler Andrew Bird graced the same stage a few days later. Bird was certainly an engrossing spectacle that night, but Patrick Watson had just played Hong Kong's gig of the year. Full of audience participation and a bewildering display of musicianship, it was the best local show since Australian rock trio Dirty Three mesmerised a few hundred people at Caritas Community Hall four years earlier.

Patrick Watson's organic and deeply layered music is written for the concert hall (or a good set of headphones), a place where it can be truly comprehended. On record, it only reveals its delicate beauty after a few good spins. Their fifth album requires much the same dedication to be fully appreciated, but in the end it's definitely worth it.