Great North are a local group who make ramshackle alt country reminiscent of Wilco, Ryan Adams and Okkervil River. The sense of raw fragility present on their debut album, Newfoundland, also reminded me of The Phoenix Foundation, but that’s where the comparisons end. This is a group with an identity all their own, as well as an album full of exceedingly accomplished songs.

The wonder here is that Great North strike the balance of sounding intelligent and slightly twee in an indie sort of way, while at the same time packing this record full of inescapably catchy songs. The hooks of “Second Skin” and “Whales” are simply unshakeable. Meanwhile, the title track is an example of the way that the lyrics and emotional tone of this album coalesce to form a very affecting whole: there is poetic gravity here, but it’s always authentic and earthed. Newfoundland is the sort of album that will stay with you after the last song ends. It’s also comfortably one of the best albums of the year.

Five out of five stars