The last time I attended a Josh Rouse show I silently cursed myself for leaving it so long between gigs, and there was a definite sense of déjà vu after this wondrous night of music in the heart of Kings Heath.

The Nebraska-born singer songwriter has been plying his trade for the best part of 30 years, hitting an especially incredible sweet spot between 2002 and 2005 with a fabulous run of career-defining albums (Under Cold Blue Stars, 1972 and Nashville). A major breakthrough never manifested itself, and since then his career has largely operated along the lines of a cottage industry - or ‘industria doméstica’, given that he now primarily resides in Valencia - sporadically releasing albums (a new one is imminent) and performing in intimate venues largely frequented by die-hard fans.

This show at the Kitchen Garden Café, almost exactly a year on from his last appearance, was a case in point. The singer claimed the venue is his favourite in the UK, comparing it to playing a lounge room in the USA (where he regularly performs in people’s houses), and the laidback mood, affection of the punters and appetising aromas drifting across from local eateries certainly contributed to the homely atmosphere.

The balmy summer evening - a chunk of the audience enjoyed the proceedings in the open air - added to the vibe, more than matched by the warmth of Rouse’s honeyed voice, delightful storytelling and gently beguiling songs. The specifics of the setlist are rather less important than their impact, but it touched on all points of his career, from as-yet unreleased material (he opened with new songs Wanderlust and Spring) to audience requests (some he couldn’t play as he couldn’t remember the chords) to crowd pleasers (Come Back, Love Vibration, 1972, Winter In The Hamptons), many of which elicited impromptu singalongs from the suitably enraptured listeners.

Other highlights included It’s The Night Time (during which troubadour Rouse left the stage to wander the venue and its courtyard garden), between-song anecdotes that ranged from an encounter with Prince in Minneapolis to a jovial exchange with a Birmingham Uber driver, and terrific Bob Dylan and The Cure covers at the finale. Both were performed alongside opening act Tim Keegan, before he was upstaged by audience member Wil Pearson, who was granted his request to accompany Rouse on piano for the last song of the night. What could have been a risk turned into a unique and stunning finale – it just so happens Wil is a professional pianist - that’s sure to live long in the memory of everyone who crowded round to get a closer look.

It all made for a fabulous night and reminder what live music is all about. The next time Josh Rouse is in town I urge you not to miss him. I won’t.

Five stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham, on Tuesday 6 July