Stephen Fretwell - 'The Lines' (Tape) Released 06/10/03

If Damon Gough is the captain of SS Badly Drawn Boy, proudly breaking the waves for the latest batch of British singer-songwriters, then Stephen Fretwell is travelling in the wake, while starting to make splashes of his own.

This mini album showcases his talent for setting scenes with light acoustic arrangements and observational lyrics that go together perfectly. “Apology like blood drips from her mouth” is just the first line of the first song Thank You, and there are many more great lines in the four songs that essentially make up the album. The lack of tracks certainly creates an intriguing dilemma – it leaves you wanting more, yet there is such a breadth of subject and tone covered that you don’t feel too disappointed. While other songwriters can be accused of taking things a little too seriously (stand up Damien Rice and David Gray for a start) Fretwell manages to avoid this with the odd wry line. The heartbreaking Throw It All Away shows that he can be deadly earnest when necessary as well. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. More please!