Young talent Sam Amidon displays an old soul in concert

Amidon’s new album, “I See the Sign,’’ builds on his previous efforts with subtle shifts in instrumentation. Composer Nico Muhly, a longtime friend and collaborator, contributed plucky orchestral arrangements, none of which Amidon attempted to replicate on songs such as “How Come That Blood.’’ Amidon already had everything he needed and even contended with some unsolicited accompaniment — heavy bass that rattled T.T.’s floorboards from a hip-hop show happening downstairs at the Middle East.

When the moment called for it, Amidon felt compelled to act out the song’s story lines. On “Wild Bill Jones,’’ when he sang, “And he let out a dreadful moan,’’ that’s exactly what Amidon delivered — nearly 10 seconds of a tortured croon both chilling and comical. When his banjo was occasionally out of tune, you got the impression it was intentional, part of the performance.

Even when he veered into contemporary terrain, Amidon sounded reverently old-school. A cover of R&B singer R. Kelly’s “Relief’’ could have come off as hipster posturing, but Amidon rendered it a sincere singalong, almost a mantra: “What a relief to know that/ We are one/ What a relief to know that/ The war is over.’’

James Reed can be reached at jreed@globe.com.