Wry Tales From Peter Case

The small stage at Largo was crowded with Peter Case’s backing quintet, which itself was outnumbered by an array of intriguing instruments, yet all eyes were on the veteran songwriter Thursday night as he showcased his new album, “Full Service No Waiting.”

Featuring producer Andrew Williams and other players from the record, the band crafted an unobtrusive yet fully rendered backdrop for Case’s intimate confessions and wry tales, all of which reflected an artist still actively honing his craft and a man coming gracefully to terms with both the present and the past.

Case conveyed his revelations lightly, however, never sacrificing spiritedness for spirituality. He fervently finger-picked his acoustic guitar throughout the 80-minute set, filling the room with ringing folk-blues licks during a solo turn on “Crooked Mile” that had even the band nodding and swaying along. Steeped in tradition, the tunes never sounded archaic but rather fresh and readily familiar, while still highly personal.

Few people in the room had probably lived the life of an itinerant musician like Case has, but he drew out universal emotions with classic images of rambling that were broader metaphors for life. The sense of transition and satisfaction in songs such as “Beautiful Grind” and “Still Playin’ ” was inspiring, and there was something comforting about realizing that, while the pull of the road never goes away (“Spell of Wheels”), even the soul of a wanderer can eventually find peace.