This one has been hanging around for a few weeks, subtly insinuating itself into our affections, shrugging its shoulders, taking its time. As such, it seems apt that Oklahoman John Fullbright's rugged, square-jawed stories of life and love sound both newly minted and yet as old as the hills. There's a timelessness to these sparsely set Americana songs, built around either piano or guitar. The monochrome settings and world-weary tone could be overbearing in lesser hands, but Fullbright's his first studio album (From the Ground Up) promised that he was something special and Songs confirms it. Fullbright is not the finished deal – influences remain to be ironed out, and he has to further define his own voice. But at 26 his work is remarkably mature, confident and natural, steeped in country, folk and gospel. His own world, his own songs, his own man. johnfullbright.com

Download: Gong Home, When You're Here