Having released two albums (Pre-Pill Love, Endearance) and an EP (The Right To Talk To Strangers) under his own name, Kiwi songwriter Simon Comber has a new musical vehicle, which has resulted in a confident new album, possibly his best yet.

Recorded in San Francisco with analogue producer John Vanderslice, Lesser Stars captures every nuance of acoustic guitar (often used with non-standard tunings), piano and deftly played bass and drums.

To this framework, Comber adds a cultivated sense of space in which he drops his tales and observations, from the quiet epiphany of Learning Not To Talk to new single Out Of The Ordinary, which offers a bittersweet ending.

• Herriot Row.  Lesser Stars. Carpathian Records.

• Five stars (out of five)

Single download: Let It Blow
For those who like: Matt Langley, Joni Mitchell

— Shane Gilchrist