ALWAYS a live favourite in Bournemouth, Newton wowed fans earlier this year at the Old Fire Station and is set to return in October at the O2 Academy.

This is the singer-songwriter’s third album and drips with cynical optimism, perhaps indicating a jadedness brought on from the overexposure of his 2007 debut Hand Built By Robots, and his second release’s relative obscurity in 2009.

Stand-out tracks include the simple yet beautiful folky Long Shot and upbeat opener Pulling Teeth, while the soaring harmonies in ballad In The Morning make it perfect for a live show.

The 27-year-old even channels an Elbow-like vibe on Pick Up Your Broken Heart. Lyrically, the album calls for people to be true to themselves, as heard on first single Clouds, and there is little diversion from this theme. There isn’t any place for the infectious, optimistic pop of his previous Top 10 singles and perhaps he can leave that to young protégé Ed Sheeran for now.