Foy Vance The Wild Swan (Warner)

Northern Irish singer songwriter Foy Vance has been on the rise in the last few years. This has come inevitably as a result of supporting Ed Sheeran on stadium tours and subsequently signing to his Gingerbread Man Records label last year. Not to be confused with Australian pop figure Vance Joy, The Wild Swan is a warm and welcoming record that relaxes and soothes with dynamics spanning folk, rock and soul. Vance’s strength as a songwriter largely sits in his approach to conveying emotion. It seems hordes of singer-songwriters have this problem of being overly soppy and sentimental and while Vance undeniably has these moments he comes across more genuine than many of his contemporaries. There’s very little ‘‘woe is me’’ going on here, something which makes this LP refreshing and attention-retaining.

Bangor Town is a good example of this with melodies that express feeling but not in an manner that makes you wince. Standout Burden has a chorus of singers that complement his serene voice. With blatant influences from James Taylor and Jackson Browne, there’s a good range of instrumentation with horns, strings and even an accordion. While there’s no denying there’s times you feel Vance could be a little more audacious, his attitude to songwriting is real and humbling. The Wild Swan is a down to earth record that will see the Irishman rise further as he supports Elton John through Europe this month.