Josh Bray - Whisky & Wool (NewTide)

When you read the back story behind Josh Bray, born in Devon, brought up in Dorset and then moved to Bristol, you would be forgiven for imagining a slightly twee British singer songwriter with a thick west country accent. I wasn't prepared for his smooth, warm voice and the American influences that fill this album right to the brim.

There are some more obvious influences right on the surface, like Neil Young and Ryan Adams, but there's also some more unexpected ones like 90's Seattle-based Grunge band Pearl Jam (like in Bray's track: 'Hard Living'), Fleetwood Mac ('Draw In The Lines') and Led Zeppelin ('This Is Life').

The album is built up with blues and folk driven tracks, all lead by Bray's smooth and familiar voice, which is instantly recognisable. The two opening tracks 'The River Song' and 'Rise' are the obvious stand out tracks for me, they kick start this journey that the album inevitably takes the listener on. It instantly brings forward images of the deep south, hot summer nights and cross-country road trips. This album is perfect for throwing on late on a summer evening, accompanied with good friends and of course a whisky in your hand.

Josh Bray's music has a refreshingly raw and natural feel to it, he combines his influences seamlessly, bringing both sides of the pond together to create his own unique twist of the folk and blues scene. British singer-songwriters seldom have this slick level of production to their tracks, Bray's album is so easy to listen to, like the Whisky & Wool mentioned in its title, the album is a smooth, perfectly blended album full of life. He's definitely one to check out!