CD review: Nick Mulvey

Nick Mulvey, former percussionist with jazz and ethnic fusion ensemble Portico Quartet, has traded hang drum for acoustic guitar, and along with it the relative anonymity of the instrumentalist for the spotlit realm of the singer-songwriter.

Occupying a space somewhere between Jose Gonzales and Ed Sheeran, and with something of the latter's hip-hop inflected flow, Mulvey impresses with expertly finger-picked guitar work and neatly crafted arrangements that reflect his interest in North African and Cuban influences.

Pick of the current crop of earnest, easy-listening troubadours.

 

• Nick Mulvey. First Mind. Universal Music. 3 stars (out of 5)

 

Single download: Fever To Form
For those who like: Ben Howard, Jose Gonzales, John Martyn

- Jeff Harford