A Burdensome Year

Sometimes on this Yorkshireman's second album, Pike's downbeat vocal with guitar and strings can feel over-familiar, as can some lyrics: ‘When it comes to memories / I can always remember which ones to forget.' But as textbook as Year can be at times, there is also something very pleasing about it. The immaculate fingerstyle playing throughout brings to mind players such as Ryley Walker and he carries the songs well. The vocals too, although rarely animated, have a charm that has served the likes of Eels' Mark Everett well across the years.

But it's the guitar playing that really separates this album from the pack; the 30-second arpeggio into ‘Keep Me in Your Mind’ is so pretty that you want the same amount of it again before the vocal starts. Wishing for more isn't a criticism here and, ultimately, Pike does nothing wrong. Year confirms him as a talented performer, up there with contemporaries like Hiss Golden Messenger. I just can't help wondering if interspersing the songs with some instrumentals – something Martin Simpson manages so well – might have added some extra layers to the album.