Much loved by many of this very magazine’s writers, and heavily lauded by the likes of Gary Lightbody, Lurgan-based musician Stevie Scullion first came to our attention as a member of the indie folk act Cat Malojian. When the band split midway through the recording sessions for their third album, the singer/songwriter decided to go it alone: The Deer’s Cry – his first full length offering as a solo artist – is the result.

Steeped in swooning, Elliott Smith-esque harmonies and bulging at the seams with big ideas about small town situations, Mr. Scullion’s songs are beautifully crafted throughout. Opening with the hazy, psychedelic title track, Malojian flirts with pop rock (‘Julie-Anne’), bluegrass and country (‘Mario [You Brought All The Computers]’) and folk (‘The Old Timer’) and the material is led by Stevie’s now-trademark willowy, slightly world-weary vocals. The Deer’s Cry regularly veers from tear-jerking to triumphant over the course of 12 tracks, but in the hushed, string-soaked ‘All I Need’, Malojian has made his finest musical moment to date. One to taste and try.