Boat To Row - Grassmarket EP

The latest in a rush of British folk-pop troupes, Midlands group Boat To Row establish themselves very much within the Mumford mould on their new EP Grassmarket, all violins and uplifting acoustic guitar. It’s gutsy, rustic music for the heart, a brothy tonic of an EP. And with Dry The River’s debut effort proving rather popular at the moment too, Boat To Row not only slip nicely alongside, but really establish their own patch too.

Working Class has a lovely sort of jaunty swagger to it and the EP’s title track is even better, a sweetly rollicking little number of such pretty charm it feels like it’s about to blow away in your hands like blades of grass.

The EP’s hand-drawn cover is rather lovely too, and fits in to the pastoral aesthetic of the songs, as does the simple elegance of the title, which trips of the tongue beautifully. All very promising indeed for the group then, who’ve already garnered Radio 2 airplay and have just polished off a tour supporting Dog Is Dead.