7/10

There's a wonderfully unusual breadth to 'Old Blighty'. Across the EP, Hereford's Last Night Watchman moves from colonial history to ancient footprints, personal loss and the passage of time, treating each subject with the curiosity of someone who has spent years thinking about how individual lives sit inside much larger stories.

The project marks a return to recording after a long break for the former Noseflutes guitarist, now working largely alone from a home studio. Layered guitars and vocals sit alongside banjo, ukulele, keyboards and orchestral textures, creating arrangements that feel handmade without ever sounding slight.

The opening title-track is perhaps the clearest example of the project’s ambition. Inspired by the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol, ‘Old Blighty’ examines Britain’s colonial past through a songwriter’s lens. Long-time friend and former bandmate John Horton, aka Sven Vortex, contributes lead guitar and keyboards, adding another layer to a song already rich in ideas.

While ‘Footprints’ takes an even less conventional starting point, drawing on the discovery of ancient human footprints in a Norfolk riverbed and connecting them to the almost incomprehensible movement of geology. It's exactly the kind of subject most songwriters would avoid, which is precisely why it stands out.

Elsewhere, 'Old Blighty' becomes more personal. Ageing, bereavement and the awareness of time passing give the EP its emotional weight, while the closing ‘Towards The Sun’ suggests a desire to keep looking outward rather than retreat inward.

Thoughtful, idiosyncratic and full of genuine curiosity, 'Old Blighty' feels like the work of a songwriter newly liberated by the ability to follow an idea wherever it leads.