Uncut September 2011

3*

First from this Bracknell nouveau folkie

Formerly a member of indie-rock hopefuls The Volt, 24-year-old Brookes relocated to London a couple of years ago to reinvent himself as an acoustic singer-songwriter. What sets him apart from dozens of nouveau folksy types playing suburban pubs is his voice – a lovely, soaring Jeff Buckley tenor – and his mastery of fingerpicking guitar. His songs are occasionally anonymous, but most impressive when they combine the two. “The Design” is a nod to Davey Graham-style folk baroque. “Travelling Man” harks back to ancient traditional song and “Glass House” sounds a little bit like Led Zeppelin in their mystical and bucolic pomp. John Lewis