Ross Clark - You Brought Evil

Whether Ross Clark has even crossed the Atlantic in his short life so far is unknown, but on You Brought Evil, he sounds as though his formative years were spent feasting on fried green tomatoes and Hank Williams records. Almost bizarrely, this results in an accomplished and enjoyable Americana record, albeit one emanating from somewhere in the southside of Glasgow. Clark's marriage of country, blues and even gospel styles is nigh on expert and seamless: this is atmospheric, graphic and impassioned stuff. His often desperate, reverb drenched vocals dominate every track, from the opening lament to dreamless nights (Three Blind Wolves) to the concluding ode to a companion (Chewin' On Bones). Clark's solo debut recalls genre-defining artists like Bright Eyes and more recently Bon Iver, but kudos must be offered for his successful endeavours to create his own individual sound, particularly when many more celebrated artists are content to use such yardsticks as templates. [Finbarr Bermingham]