Songs of the year: Number 13

Ruston Kelly has that real world weary tone to his voice, the voice of experience, the troubadour on the road. He makes me think of a young Bruce Springsteen and, of the songs released this year, 'Big Brown Bus' was my favourite slice of his particular brand of Americana. It's a tough life on the road.

Ruston Kelly "Big Brown Bus"

The style of music Ruston Kelly is making isn't necessarily the kind of thing I'd normally like, but I find the slightly mournful, brooding, soulful qualities of his voice hard to resist.

'Mockingbird' is good as well but it was a bit more obviously Americana than 'Big Brown Bus'. I think 'Big Brown Bus' shows Kelly potentially eyeing early Springsteen territory. He feels like a man of the people, keen to make a difference in a good way, seeing music as more than a job.

The album Dying Star comes out on 7th September and should be worth a listen on this evidence.