Hello Starling: Josh Ritter (Setanta).

Josh Ritter, in his mid twenties and from the USA, is proving himself to be a great songwriter.

His last album, The Golden Age of Radio, recorded on a shoestring budget in 2001, was soon picked up by the industry and word began to get around that there was a major new talent on the music block.

Ritter is making a name for himself in his home country, is already huge in Ireland and surely it won't be long before he's well known in Britain too.

There is nothing flashy about Josh Ritter. Simple acoustic guitar, drums and understated piano grace most of his songs, where the quality of the lyrics and melody shine through.

What's he like? Think of a mixture of Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Lou Reed, even Coldplay, plus that extra ingredient he brings to the mix: his great vocal range, his distinctive phrasing, an ability to connect with the listener.

The album opens with Bright Smile and Kathleen, both lovely hook-driven ballads, before the gentle Dylanesque Don't Make it Easy, Babe.

Other highlights include the mysterious Wings, a fabulous song which has already been recorded by Joan Baez, and the final track The Bad Actress, which builds from a plucked acoustic guitar opening to a driving and powerful showstopper.

In the pop world where manufactured artists are increasingly the norm, it is good to find a singer-songwriter like Ritter forging a name for himself.