Nick Waterhouse: Holly

On his second album, the laid-back charms of this retro soul throwback from California make for a record of rich, cool, stylish tunes that always favour the vintage sound. As on his debut (Time's All Gone), Waterhouse never strays too far from his influences, with 1960s r'n'b, vintage jazzy soul and breezy pop to the fore. What's different here is the distinct effort to widen the sonic spread. Instead of striving to evoke a certain time and place, he and co-producer Kevin Augunus don't get hung up on matching the revivalist pattern. There are nods to Van Morrison (Hands on the Clock) and Georgie Fame (Well It's Fine). But there are plenty of moments when he cuts left or right to bring a smoother sheen to the proceedings, as on covers of Mose Allison's Let It Come Down and Young Holt Trio's Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy. nickwaterhouse.com

Download: Hands on the Clock, Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy