TORONTO - Reading her lyrics and listening to her sing, Rachael Yamagata sounds as if she would be doing well to crack a smile once a week.

But in concert, the singer-songwriter brings a quirky sense of comedic between-song banter which makes one realizes she's having fun despite the sullen content of some of her songs.

Prior to starting the homestretch of her roughly 75-minute set Friday night before a "sweet, receptive and kind" audience of a few hundred at The Mod Club, Yamagata said many fans would ask if she did weddings.

"I think you should just listen to the lyrics," Yamagata said before mentioning how some songs were more suited for the divorce business rather than trips to the altar.

Regardless, Yamagata, touring behind her double album Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart, ensured that an uplifting, festive spirit was in abundance with Christmas lights around the stage and microphone stands and a decorated tree in the back of the club.

Kicking off with Be Be Your Love from 2004's Happenstance, Yamagata and her 3-piece band nailed much of the new songs beginning with the delicate, sparse Elephants. Initially seated at her keyboard and with her bangs providing perfect shade from the overhead stage lights, Yamagata's quiet delivery brought to mind the likes of PJ Harvey and Shelby Lynne.

It served as the perfect primer for What If I Leave, a slow, soulful track which set the tone for half of the show.

Yamagata was quite talkative throughout, mentioning that they had to leave their bass player in Buffalo and how she was stopped at the border coming into the country. When asked by border officials who she had played with before, Yamagata stated she performed with Ryan Adams.

"They must have thought I meant Bryan," she said, once again adding another piece to the Ryan Adams/Bryan Adams file of mistaken identity.

One of the biggest surprises though was just how well some of the rock-oriented songs complemented the softer, almost fragile numbers. A perfect example of this was with Faster and especially the driving Sidedish Friend which picked up steam immediately.

Asking if the dry ice on stage was having its desired effect, and later on hesitantly downing a rather stiff drink bought by a fan, Yamagata performed two numbers alone beginning with Meet Me By The Water which fared far better than The Only Fault, the latter perhaps being the only flaw of the set.

Seemingly pleased with the response from the attentive audience, Yamagata showed both sides of her musical spectrum with the tight Accident. Although stating she wasn't a fantastic guitar player, she held her own throughout the song despite the fact an annoying bass line coming from elsewhere was stiff competition for the rock tune.

With an early curfew looming, Yamagata and her band but a nice sonic bow on this night with the lengthy and lovely Sunday Afternoon, a meandering deliberate number highlighted by some great work by guitarist Michael Chaves.