Willy Mason - We Can Be Strong

So affected was Mr Mason by the glare of the media spotlight that as soon as touring commitments were wrapped up on his debut album, he beat a hasty retreat back home to his folks where he experienced a minor nervous breakdown and, er, built a shed as part of his recovery process. But while the "new Bob Dylan" tag doubtless weighed heavy on his shoulders, the new material shows his talent for wood-smoked folk remains undiminished. The presence of KT Tunstall on backing vocals, however, smacks of the kind of record company shenanigans that Mason was so put off by the first time around. [Barry Jackson]