Sheffield’s Richard Hawley produced what was for me one of the best records of the decade with 2009’s magnificent Truelove’s Gutter.

On Standing at the Sky’s Edge he has traded that record’s effortless swoon for something slightly more bombastic. Gone are the strings and orchestral arrangements and replaced by two guitars, bass and drums. Hawley’s motivation: ‘Just to see how far we could push it.’

Opening track ‘She Brings the Sunlight’ sets the stage in epic fashion with droning guitars to the fore and while it’s certainly a taste of what’s to come, Hawley can never resist the crooner inside with some lush balladry texturing the later part of the album. Hawley is a man who quietly and unassumingly produces the goods every time and has once again dished up a wonderful record. Take a bow.

Declan Murphy is from Readings St Kilda