David C. Clements is back, eight years after the Northern Ireland indie songwriter’s debut album, The Longest Day In History. On the advice of Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, he began collaborating with other musicians, and co-writing with experienced hands Iain Archer and Jacknife Lee. The result is that The Garden is chock-full of the kind of soaring, anthemic choruses many performers would pawn family members for.

At his best, Clements creates big, bold and brilliant songs that soar and swoop. His melodies build from tender ruminations to full-on bangers, like the galloping ‘Orlock’, the impressive ‘Life In A Bad Dream’, and the album’s first single, ‘Reckless’. The latter begins with a feather-light electronic background, over which Clements croons about searching forlove, gradually building in intensity until it careers into a rousing finale.

Current double-A-side tunes ‘Contrast’/ ‘The Garden’ are both built on acoustic guitar. The former, a co-write with Archer, features sumptuous strings, as Clements pushes his vocal into the upper ranges for the cascading chorus.

The title-track, meanwhile, is a catchy rumination on gender bias, the singer’s Northern burr obvious as he tries to ensure his daughter can be anything she wants to be. And the stunning ‘To Be Low’ recalls British singer Luke Sital-Singh in its vocal gymnastics – high praise indeed. Overall, a wonderful effort.

7/10