Extremely underated over here, has an excellent new album just out called "Sunshine Lies".
Has the sublime Velvet Crush as his backing band and has worked extensively with Richard Lloyd from Television on previous albums along with the late Robert Quine from the Voidoids and Lou Reed's group.

Surely a prime candidate for a Word feature?

Also, has the enviable pleasure of working with Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, lucky man!

sorry me again, just thought...Roddy Frame ex-Aztec Camera has some really good solo albums out and is well worth catching live too - very entertaining.

It was Matthew Sweet's birthday yesterday. No idea why I know that but I used to have an unhealthy obsession with Velvet Crush.

"Surf" may be a great place to start. There is also an amazing Matthew Sweet covers album, can't remember the name now but it is done with so much affection for the music, that the rather obvious choice of covers does not matter.

Actually the name is "Under The Covers".Plus you gotta hear "Divine Intervention" off the "Girlfriend" album. Nick Heyward's solo albums are also superb!!

At the same time I was relishing Lloyd Cole, I was also very fond of Deacon Blue; yes, they haven't aged well, but just re-visit "Raintown", their first and best moment, for some fabulous tunes. That and their Bacharach EP is about all I'd bother with, to be fair, as it was steep downhill thereafter.

(Forgive me if this is a 'durrr, course I know them')

If you like well-crafted songs composed on an acoustic guitar by a talented lyricist, then buy anything by those two above. Starting points:

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (or Conor Oberst's latest solo album).

The Shins - you can't go wrong with any of their 3 albums.

Mind you, I think Billy Bragg's a useless t0sser; it's Lloyd Cole I'm thinking of.....

give Aimee Mann a try. You'll be surprised at how good she is.

Try T-Bone Burnett's Proof Through The Night?

Have a go at Anon and Harmongraph. Both great, very underrated and in keeping with Lloyd more than Billy.

so going by that, other people of similar ilk I would recommend are...
Ian McNabb - Album after album of quality songs and a top bloke as well
Neil Halstead - (as featured in this months The Word) his Mojave 3 stuff is excellent.
Steven Lindsay - 2 great solo albums and The Big Dish stuff is good as well.
Kevin Tihista - not quite so consistent, but worth checking out.

Particularly the album XO

As for Matthew Sweet I read an interview with Sussanah Hoffs where she mentioned the second volume of covers with Mr Sweet is on its way. This time all 70's songs. No it's not something I dreamt.

Ian McNabb

One of this country's most underated songwriters

Some I've heard, plenty I haven't.
Was going to finally let emusic membership lapse this month, but plenty of these to be found there. So, they've got me for one more month at least.

....but I like Billy Bragg.

I can't think of anyone else who does solo shows with only an electric guitar.....it started off as a bit of a gimmick, but he's been doing it for almost 30 years now. His voice is hardly melodic, he's not the greatest guitarist in the world and his songs tend to be sad so I can understand why some people don't get him. Much of his work is sad but it doesn't make me sad.

I think his best work was in the 80's. For me, it's the lyrics. Love songs, personal songs and left leaning political songs...fighting for the underdog...I can relate to all of that!!

You might like(because I do)

Steve Earle - great storyteller, left wing politically, personal songs, love songs......

Loudon Wainwright III - there's not really a lot of politics in his work but his songs are very personal. The reason no-one covers him is because his songs *are* so personal. Mostly (don't fall in) love songs written with anger and/or irony. Very funny man!

John Hiatt - another great storyteller and singer of personal/love songs. Plays in many different styles.

Steve Forbert - yet again another expert storyteller who leans to the left. Personal as well as love songs from the very early albums right through to his latest release.

Randy Newman - Piano instead of guitar this time....miss out his work from the movie industry(though there's nothing wrong with it)and you'll find politics and anger along with his love songs and stories....oh, and he's the master of irony.

The above are all American so their personal politics are a bit different from Billys but really they're just the same. They're all a little older than Billy and I'd bet that every one of them has had some influence on him.

Is it too obvious to mention the early works of Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson?

Try Roy Bailey. Similar subject matter - politics and love - but better sung, usually with Martins Carthy or Simpson accompanying. Roy doesn't write songs but he does pick good ones.

His erstwhile partner Leon Rosselson, who does write songs including "The World Turned Upside Down" which Billy covered, is more of an acquired taste.

Then of course there's Martin Simpson in his own right (and Carthy for that matter). And Clive Gregson too.

I've never listened to any Lloyd Cole but will now check him out.

when he is doing one of his solo acoustic shows. Nice line of patter, though it is a bit disconcerting watching him in the flesh, because he is Jimmy Carr's doppelganger.

and could feature in Word's Star Specialisms section. Though personally I've never got any of his post Rattlesnakes stuff (I should revist though)

Billy however I've been following for years since I first picked up "Brewing Up". I must admit that some of his latest material is a bit forced compared to his back catalogue. But when that back catalogue includes "Workers Playtime" a break-up album to stand beside "Blood on the Tracks" and "Tunnel of Love" can I also recommend his podcast where he chats with Wiggy and tells the story of his career thus far. Also Andrew Collins (of the Word parish) biography of the great man is excellent.

Had all of Lloyd Cole's albums up to Love Story (which is my favorite) and then stopped.

This blog has persuaded me to look at the later stuff, just downloaded this which was cheap on itunes, will try anti-depressant next.

Trying to think of if you like .. and came up with Ben Folds, ok so piano again rather than guitar but as Nick Hornby highlights in 31 songs, always good