Until recently there’s been something of a divide between pop-country and alt-country but now they seem to be finding common ground more often. Jenny Queen’s new album achieves that and now Tracy McNeil finds similar gold by mining the tried and true washes of guitar distortion, twang and tremolo that characterise melancholic americana with added melodic riches. ‘A Little More Like Love’ is a swaying slow-burner while ‘Wildcats’ overflows with hooks and a gloriously chiming guitars. Neko Case and Jenny Lewis are two songwriters that do pop-leaning alt-country so well and in its best moments Nobody Ever Leaves breathes the same rarified air.

Chris Familton

this review was first published in The Music