TOM Baxter could well be tagged the "nearly man" of British singer-songwriting.

His excellent first album, Feather & Stone, earned plenty of airtime, but the likes of James Blunt and Damien Rice burst through the tape first.

Dropped by his label, Baxter was undeterred and financed this second album by producing and selling ten artworks - one for each track on the finished recording.

Lyrically, Baxter can keep apace with the heartfelt Rice while Baxter's virtuoso vocal leaves Blunt in the starting blocks.

There's great tenderness and feeling here, and it's the sort of album you want to listen to on your own.

Each song is distinct, too - from the jazzy arrangement on A Night Like This to the infectious tango of Tell Her Today, the most ambitious and exhilarating track.

Baxter isn't really part of a three-horse race; he's one of a kind and with Skybound he's come up trumps.