The QPAC Concert Hall has filled nicely by the time rising star New Buffalo (aka Sally Seltmann) hits the stage to treat us to a slew of songs from her ARIA-nominated album Somewhere, Anywhere (what the fuck /is/ adult contemporary anyway?).

The Concert Hall’s sharp acoustics prove a touch too crisp for her pure tones and sparse sound. Nevertheless, the occasional faint echo and the quiet background hiss of the speakers is no impediment to appreciating the effortless beauty of her songwriting. Aided by Jessica Venables, who adds subtle synths, soft recorder, aching cello and sultry backing vocals, the songs pass back and forth from dreamy and autumnal to adventurous and quirky. I’ve Got You, And You’ve Got Me, Cheer Me Up Thank You, Recovery, Misery and Mountains all do more than enough to suggest New Buffalo has a long and fruitful career ahead of her.

There’s been a spate of touring artists of late to profile their latest offerings in their entirety, before delving into the back-catalogue later in the evening. This is how Paul Kelly’s set pans out tonight, and it proves a winner for both artist and audience.

As Kelly and band forge through Stolen Apples it’s evident that his songwriting prowess is undiminished. Alone, songs such as God Told Me To, Sweetest Thing, Right Outta My Head and, of course, the title track all pack the lyrical punch and melodic pull of instant classics and do more than enough to suggest they’ll soon join Kelly’s decades-spanning pantheon of hits. But, adroitly juxtaposed with selected visuals, the emotional kick is magnified tenfold – the stunning religious artwork accompanying God Told Me To being the undoubted highlight.

By the time Kelly wraps up the album in solo mode performing an aching acoustic rendition of Please Leave Your Light On, the first hour has flown past, and as the lights go down he receives rapturous applause.

He’s back within minutes though, and where some bands seem to approach their back-catalogue reluctantly, Kelly is all delightful earnestness. But how do you cope when said back-catalogue spans a massive 16 albums without even counting best-of compilations, collaborations, live recordings and soundtracks? Effortlessly, apparently, as Kelly nonchalantly weaves his way from 1982 breakthrough album Post to 2005 effort Foggy Highway through 18 songs and two superb encores.

He starts out quietly with just himself and nephew Dan Kelly playing Wintercoat and When I First Kissed Your Ma, but the twin hits of Gossip – To Her Door and Before Too Long soon ratchet the tempo to the delight of the audience. Kelly bounces around frenetically on Peter Luscombe’s drum riser during Ash Naylor’s big solo moments and you can just tell he’s dying for his own as well. The moments of musical beauty are too many to mention in a single review – the soulful harmonica of Going About My Father’s Business, the wistful nostalgia of the lyrics to Standing on the Streets of Early Sorrows, the love-gone-to-trainwreck of Dumb Things are just a few.

But it’s the understated yet gut-wrenching poetry of How to Make Gravy and the moody and the atmospheric guitars and poignant lyrics of Maralinga (Rainy Land) that are tonight’s showstoppers, and surely undeniable proof that – as some have claimed – Paul Kelly is indeed Australia’s poet laureate of pop and a musical living treasure.