Dessa is a little-known rapper/singer from the hip-hop collective Doomtree. Two years ago she released her critically acclaimed album “Castor, the Twin,” and this year saw the release of “Parts of Speech” which brought the same blend of rapid-fire rhymes and beautiful, melodic singing, which was all on display at the Blue Stage on Sunday.

The beginning of Dessa’s set was plagued by technical difficulties, with much of the instrumentation almost completely drowning out her vocals. Thankfully, the problem was fixed quickly and the rest of her set sounded fantastic, which is partly due to her use of a live band rather than just backing tracks. Dessa’s band included a drummer, keyboardists and a guitarist along with back-up singer Aby Wolf, who provided unbelievable harmonies with the leading lady throughout the set.

She mainly played newer songs, which makes sense given she was there to promote her new album, which is not a bad thing by any means. Highlights include the haunting but gorgeous “The Man I Knew,” the opening track off her new album, and its lead single “Skeleton Key.” The climax of the set, though, was “Alibi” off her first album, a fast-paced and bouncy track that exploded in thrilling energy during its third chorus in a way that it does not come close to in its recording, successfully breathing new life into an older song, which is always a welcome change in a live setting.

Dessa kept the crowd engaged throughout, talking to the audience between songs. Near the end of her set, she hopped off the stage and entered the crowd, continuing to rap and sing into her microphone with the same high energy.

“This is going to get awkward really fast, so everybody just turn around for a minute,” she joked once the song was over and she had to climb back onto the stage.

Somehow, Dessa sounds even more energetic and amazing in person than she already does on her albums, which are both worth checking out. The next time she is in town, she is not to be missed.