As the late, great Mark Twain once said, “plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities”. On listening to Milk Maid’s 2nd album, ‘Mostly No’, it becomes abundantly obvious that chief protagonist Martin Coren is a subscriber to the school of though that simplicity is often the best path to tread. ‘Mostly No’ is a great record for it’s simplicity, not in spite of it. It doesn’t matter what you do to it, what effects you layer over the top or what wizardry you imagine into things – great music comes from the simple stuff, great melodies and great lyrics.

The record begins with ‘Dolpamine’, which builds slowly and beautifully from a campfire strum (one with electric guitars, natch) into a beautiful fog of distorted guitars. ‘Do Right’ starts with that fog of distorted guitars and emerges into a cleverly crafted slice of Lemonheads-esque pop before descending into a beautiful cave of feedback and distortion. ‘Stir So Slow’ is Coren’s Nirvana Unplugged moment.

As the record continues on the turntable the one thought on it is that this is probably the sort of music that grunge would be playing if it were alive today. There’s a hint of shoegazing in there too. Acoustic numbers ‘New Plans’ ‘No Goodbye’ and ‘Picture of Stone’ bring to mind Swearing at Motorists and even The Stone Roses. A lush, rich sound that is oh so achingly beautiful.

Whilst ‘Mostly No’ isn’t reinventing the wheel, it certainly deserves its place in any decent record collection. It’s Martin Coren stepping away from being ex Nine Black Alps and into being Mr Milk Maid in his own worthy right. Play it lots and play it loud!