A lifetime ago when I was young and even more anxious than I am these days, we had one of those all night parties at our shared house in the first year of Uni. As the drink faded and that odd girl stopped getting a thrill from sitting on the washing machine during a spin cycle, the sun rose over our grim north London skyline. Someone popped some Joan Armatrading on the wind up gramophone and I was transported to a calm and wonderful place.

Now Mouse Deer (aka Holly McIntosh) is perhaps a mile from Joan stylistically but this latest track has had the same effect on me today as I sit here worrying about all the things I should be doing but am too hot and tired to do any of them .

I have followed young Holly for a bit, we have the occasional moment of banter on FB and have committed some scribbles to ‘paper’ but I overlooked this track as it surfaced . This is perhaps my favourite track she has done to date – chilled and a little bit eighties (vague whiffs of early Judie Tzuke maybe?), Holly sounds relaxed and in excellent voice, the little electronic rhythm track, the soft twangy guitar setting up a delicious, gently rolling song that leeches away the tiresome worries on this super summer day.

Given I don’t seem to be able to sleep these days, the idea if resting easy again is a massively enticing if unlikely state. Well Holly my dear, a few more beautiful tracks like this might make it possible.