Cotton BellContinental Song City ****

Given the plethora of American singer-songwriters, to stand out they have to be something special. Wisconsin native Hayward Williams fits the bill to judge by this sparse, concentrated slice of thoughtful, folky Americana. Recorded “on the crest of the coldest winter in recent memory”, the music has a huddled-down, blanketed warmth in which you can almost hear the sparks of the fire as Dan McMahon’s electric guitar picks out notes against an acoustic guitar backdrop in the evocative title track and Mockingbird. There are splashes of violin, viola, mandolin and pedal steel, and hushed, tuneful voices to flesh out Williams’s rich, resigned tone. The eight songs (plus an unnamed extra), with themes of recollection and reflection wrapped in simple, timeless melodies, are most impressive. See haywardwilliams.com

Download tracks:Cotton Bell, Mockingbird, I Will Understand (Mary Ann)