FDM.com was pretty much set-up to help give artists like Jon Redfern a voice. A relentlessly-overlooked UK songwriter responsible for penning the most gentle and poignant cuts of nu-folk; his is a talent that sits far from the compass of the UK mainstream. For the past few years Redfern and Derby's Reveal Records have been responsible for releasing a steady stream of indisputably quality records; each of which has helped build a small but passionate fanbase for Redfern. Whilst 'What Else But Love?' will in time be looked back upon as just another small brick in helping build this community, it nonetheless stands as a fascinating and hugely-impressive body of work.

The central attraction to this album is its unadulterated simplicity. More often than not it sounds like Redfern sat alone with his thoughts and nothing more than a battered six-string. In such environs he is intoxicating to listen to; touching tales of an unforgiving childhood sashay alongside songs of unrequited love and battered hearts. His voice has a soft southern burr which gives his folk instant warmth and somehow lends each track an honesty and integrity that seems something of a dying art in UK song-writing circles.

Highlights across the album are plentiful ('Spark In The Sky', 'Play Of Fear' and 'Don't Worry' are great introductions to Redfern as a songwriter) but it becomes abundantly clear that all tracks sit in the shadow of the album's most accessible and heartbreaking moment - 'Part Of You'. Again simplicity is key to its attraction; from the stark acoustic/ whispered-vocal introduction the track slowly builds with the help of twinkling piano lines and lovelorn lyrics so ripe-with-emotion that you feel almost voyeuristic listening to it. The track's demise comes far too soon but offers a welcome respite from a pretty emotional grilling. It's a jaw-dropping experience.

Sharing a community with Mercury-nominated artist Rachel Unthank will do wonders for Redfern's profile but he remains an artist that requires effort to discover, and as we all know, those types of discoveries are always the most fulfilling.

'What Else But Love' is released on 15th September through Reveal Records.

Josh Timber