Previously best known for her collaborations with Broken Social Scene, Kings of Convenience and Peaches, Leslie Feist stepped into the spotlight last night, and held her audience rapt.

The 31-year-old Canadian turned Shepherds Bush Empire into an all-seater venue for her first London show in two years, ensuring a hushed atmosphere for her spectral compositions.

Wrestling with a large guitar that overwhelmed her slight form, she was backed by five men who all seemed to be doing very little, though the cumulative effect was quite magical. Songs such as Brandy Alexander and So Sorry were sparse, slowly drifting ballads, dominated by Feist's soft, drowsy singing voice.

The set was filled with tracks from next week's new album, The Reminder, so the crowd spent most of the evening grappling with the unfamiliar, but the instantly adorable melodies of I Feel It All and The Water made them fast friends.

Though her glacial style suggested unapproachability, she bantered with endearing embarrassment and involved fans in clapping stop-start rhythms and singing harmonies.

But as she sang the stunning Intuition, alone with a guitar and a glitterball, all her audience could do was gaze in silent admiration at a sidekick who has finally become a star.