I have to admit, I’m of the school of thought that Christmas songs belong at Christmas, so at this time of year, when they’re all over the radio, it’s nice to listen to something different. There are no jingle bells and children’s choirs in sight with this latest offering from Dan Arborise, just a very mellow, acoustic folk sound.

‘Another Side Of The Sky’ was one of the strongest tracks of his album ‘Of Tide And Trail’, so I was pleased to see it make single status. The song begins with a well crafted, toe tapping melody, and moves onto quite complex sounding guitar work, which I could imagine watching quite closely at a live gig. There is quite a jump in tempo changes part way through the song, which takes a little getting used to, but it introduces a percussive rhythm which I think will grow on the listener. The only thing I would say is that the vocal was a little too mellow for me, and could’ve been a bit more emotive, but apart from that a pretty good song.

The single, was followed by additional track ‘Days Even Years’ which had what I can only describe as a ‘pretty melody’ and very reflective lyrics. All in all, two promising songs melodically, with just a few bits and pieces that didn’t quite capture the imagination. If you’re looking for some tracks that are mellow in some places, and rousing in others, then maybe Dan Arborise will be the artist for you. Single released on November 30th. More information from www.justmusic.co.uk or www.myspace.com/arborise