FITTINGLY for a man with a worrisome name, Fretwell is a northern English singer-songwriter at the gloomy end of rock, where it tips towards folk.
Yet this is lovely gloom, having a sparse, haunting beauty. There are passing suggestions of anyone from Bob Dylan to Nick Drake, with just a hint of David Gray on the piano-led songs. Others have a smoky fragility, being intimate fire-side tales of tenderness and springy wit. Do You Want To Come With? and the lovely Emily show Fretwell at his gentle best, while New York, a come-away plea to a wandering girlfriend, moves the tempo up a little, although not a lot. With a proper record deal at last, Fretwell is a real find, especially for those who like their songs sad yet warming.
Updated: 09:11 Thursday, January 27, 2005
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