Thomas Dybdahl: "that great October sound" (Glitterhouse/Yellow Eye)

Some voices -- like those of Jeff Buckley, Antony (of the Johnsons) and Aretha Franklin -- just draw you to them.

In the alt.folk scene the late Elliott Smith had such a gift. You felt he was speaking to only you as he revealed intimate secrets.

This Norwegian singer-songwriter is like that -- and international critics have been quick to make the Smith/Buckley comparison. Nick Drake's name comes up a bit too.

Dybdahl plays most of the core instruments here (guitars, bass, organ and so on) but also gets in a string arranger for the gorgeously mesmerising title track, and sometimes lap steel, violin, Hammond organ, acoustic bass, piano and some off-kilter drums. The whole thing is quietly engrossing, and disturbingly fragile.

Sounds like a major talent to me.