SINGER-songwriters come and go, sometimes making a splash, sometimes not.

Fionn Regan, a poetic Irish singer, makes more of a ripple, but, gradually, gently, the ripples build into something quiet but substantial, bringing inevitable comparisons with Nick Drake.

Introspective music can wash over the listener, each song sounding mournfully the same. Regan doesn't entirely escape that fate, but careful listening reveals great depths to his songs, uncovering the musical sturdiness beneath the surface.

The opening Be Good Or Be Gone is a beguiling delight, that pulls you in with its emotions, while The Underwood Typewriter treads a jauntier path, and the stand-out Hey Rabbit is a winningly strange short-story song. Regan scatters rich arpeggios throughout his songs, mixing early John Martyn-style guitar playing with a warm, inclusive vocal style. The End Of History marks a debut of real promise.

  • Fionn Regan plays Fibbers in York on September 18.