Let's face it, a television advert never did too much harm to an artist commercially, even if it somewhat dented their credibility.

The famous Levis ads of the 80s spawned a string of hit singles for stars who'd long since hung up their guitars, such as 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' by the Clash and a posthumous number one for Marvin Gaye.

While not always a surefire guarantee of a smash, Jose Gonzales greatly benefited from his version of 'Heartbeats' by the Knife soundtracking a memorable Sony advert featuring 250,000 coloured balls bouncing through San Francisco.

Since this breakthrough hit wasn't his own composition, and his live set regularly features lots of covers such as 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack, there has always been a nagging suspicion that Gonzales' success is built on luck rather than raw talent.

Thankfully, this sparse and beautiful performance is far superior to an underwhelming appearance in the Village a few years back, but it still exposes his limitations. His guitar playing is exquisite, deftly picking out notes and creating a hushed atmosphere without getting too reverential or cloying. When he gently taps the body of his guitar to create a gentle rhythm, it's a lovely moment.

The title track of his second album, 'In Our Nature' is another highlight, benefiting from the accompaniment of two percussionists. However, for all the tender warmth of these affecting tunes, his voice just isn't distinctive enough to amaze throughout an entire performance. Its close similarity to the great Nick Drake doesn't really help matters either.

But bless him, he's certainly trying to up his lyrical game, drawing on 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins and other weighty tomes for lyrical subject matter. This is a definite step-up from the usual whingey singer-songwriter fare about getting dumped or being misunderstood.

Opening act Carly Sings deserves a special mention for her pop-orientated take on the genre. The quality of her new tunes that are not on her debut album, 'The Glove Thief', is also encouraging.

It's a pleasant and very solid summer evening of acoustic music, if not quite an enchanting one.

- Eamon Sweeney