Sweet Baboo – Wild Imagination

Opening with a snapshot of ponderous brass, the humbly emotive talent of North Wales-based musician Stephen Black – otherwise known as Sweet Baboo – becomes apparent within the first few seconds of his latest record. Drawing influence from gently tumultuous singer-songwriters like Nick Drake, Wild Imagination boasts a fine balance of joy and melancholy rarely found within your run-of-the-mill pop album.

Through standout tracks such as the aptly romanticised Swallows, Black’s novel sense of emotional candour is portrayed with a series of almost comic, animated blips of synth and artificial instrumentation, wrapped in layers of heartfelt lyricism: 'You fill each town with love / And disappear above'. In fact, the lyrical focus itself is a lightly refreshing one, geared towards the wistful feelings we all share for adventure, passion, and the natural world.

As the album progresses, it almost appears as a modern re-incarnation of George Harrison’s 1970 debut All Things Must Pass – while Badminton and Clear Blue Skies possess an underlying bed of synth-based melodies and softly pulsating drumbeats, it’s difficult to deny that the subdued vocal hosts the same saccharine qualities as both Harrison and Drake.

Overall, Black’s latest effort proves nothing less than a markedly ethereal romp beyond the traditional boundaries of pop, as its comic hints of electronica and rolling melodies lend it a profoundly cosmic air. Yet, his lyrics remain firmly rooted here on earth, proving that our audible obsession with globe-trotting romance will never truly wither.

Listen to: Swallows