Do We Burn the Boats?Self-released ****

On his fourth album, Ben Glover moves beyond his mainly Americana influences with a collection of songs that hits the spot more often than not. The singer-songwriter from Glenarm, Co Antrim, now mostly resident in Nashville, is often compared with Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen but Steve Forbert and Ryan Adams come more readily to mind – Forbert's vivid personal sketches, in particular, are echoed in Glover's attempts to make sense of life and its passing. The gorgeous poppy insistency of Whatever Happens Will sets the tone, and it is followed by exceptional tracks such as Memo, Do What You Do, And Only You and I and Rampart Street (the latter co-written with Mary Gauthier). However, it is the aching, whispered, countryish ballad No Means Yes that best captures the growing maturity and confidence of a natural storyteller. benglover.co.uk

Download tracks: Whatever Happens Will, Memo