Grand Salvo is the alter ego of Melbourne songwriter Paddy Mann. This is the follow-up to his magnificent album River Road.The Temporal Wheel was almost entirely written and recorded over two intensely productive days in the beautiful surroundings of the NSW south coast. Paddy’s reflective and often-romantic lyrics are sung over thoughtful, tinkering orchestral arrangements. These are folk songs which are simple yet run deep with imaginative narratives and instrumentation ranging from sparse acoustic strings on ‘Sour Grapes’ to a stately dixieland romp on ‘Just Woken’. The result is an intimate album of immense charm and magical whimsy. Fans of Nick Drake, Smog or ‘Sodastream should investigate this oft-overlooked local gem.

Ash Miles is from Readings Carlton