The Lipster

We know, we know: listening to a sensitive man plucking away at an acoustic guitar can be as deadening an experience as being forced to watch a My Family omnibus through a faceful of chloroform. Zzzz, yeah. But fear not: The Sleeping Years, the nom du song of Northern Irish sideburn-sporter Dale Grundle (a Postman Pat character to go with Peter Fogg and Ted Glen, surely?), is/are actually bloody good, making songs that are plain perfect for the sun-dazzled days of early summer.

Dale's being been plying his nylon-stringed trade for about 3,000 years, most notably as singer of late '90s band Catchers, who went on tour with Oasis, Pulp, Edwyn Collins and The Divine Comedy, and had one of their albums produced by Nick Drake's arranger Robert Kirby. After a break, his new stuff's being getting playlisted on 6Music by Gideon Coe and French radio's John Peel, the fabulously-named Bernard Lenoir, is all hot under le collar for him. Try the lovely song below – Macosquin, Coleraine – for size, and if you like it, look out for Dale's debut album, We're Becoming Islands One by One, out in early June.