SPENCER CULLUM Schallplatten & CDs

Review: You might not have heard about Spencer Cullum, but that doesn't mean this pedal steel maestro hasn't been at the top of his game - and hugely respected by a ton of major names - for years already. As with most of the best out there, he's plied a trade for ages as a session musician in one of the planet's sonic epicentres, Nashville. Working with the lines of Deer Tick, Caitlin Rose, and Kesha, to name but three. He's also one-half of the cosmic-country duo, Steelism. Despite those accolades, he's actually originally from London, and describes himself as "the guy who looks like he's studying for a test in the background." Clearly not just talented, but also humble and pretty witty, Spencer Cullum's Coin Collection might be the most anticipated folk album of the year. Reassuringly in the age of disappointments and nihilism, he doesn't let the side down, paying homage to the greats of the 1960s and 70s while offering something that sounds contemporary and entirely his own. Good enough to drown in, then.