Friday night could not have been a better evening to mix and mingle with the smoothness of Brian Rath at Starry Nites Cafe. The full moon was floating and circling around the city, almost demanding that your eyes pay attention to it, as the 20- and 30somethings huddled around outside, cozying up to their espressos and lattes. Rath's charming vocals hovered in the entranceway of the café, and his set was spot on.

So many influences are wrapped up and intertwined into his sound that I I could not keep up. There was a little bit of Rufus Wainwright, an ounce of Mason Jennings, plus Joseph Arthur and The Beatles -- the list could go on and on. His voice, delicate and subdued, was barely audible at times over the sounds of outside and the cars rolling by. But I wanted to lean in, and I wanted to catch every word.

He had an endearing quirkiness to him, a quality that made his original works, most notably the tune "21 Old," stand out on their own. "21 Old" was equipped with a catchy, distinctive four-note melody, and a reflective window of lyrics to hold on to.

Rath's vocals traveled and wandered through a wide register. He carefully treaded the waters of falsetto, dipping down a few times for some lowly bass notes, and back up again. His voice maneuvered through all types of sounds and textures- through the soothing sound of Zeppelin's "Goin' to California" to Feist's clever and quirky "Mushaboom."

This set was memorable and refreshing. I'm hooked.