An oft-trod genre, especially in recent years with Mumford/Lumineers stoking the revival bonfire, folk tends to need a bit of TLC to warrant more than a cursory glance. It’s not that it’s difficult to make good folk music, as it has the propensity for supreme greatness, but in order for it to not be hair-pullingly bland, the legions of troubadours have to find themselves a USP – conforming to the cookie-cutter horde of singer-songwriter acoustic guitar-wielders isn’t an endearing facet.

Fortunately for London singer-songwriter Gibson Bull, he’s whittled a wonderful sonic nook to busy himself in. Lifting threads from trip-hop, pop and sampled classical strings/jazz, he assembles a wonderfully unique take on the style. A bluesman by trade, Bull has found himself stretching the frontier with his debut – he’s pushing the boundaries of folk with Skin and Bones, refusing to conform to conventions or follow a well-worn route.

Twinkling like the distant cousin of Bon Iver, or perhaps more relevantly, a younger brother of Daughter (sans crushing trauma), “Where Are You Now” combines the distant echo of electric riffs, a country warmth and the kinetic beat of “Teardrop” by Massive Attack, to create a kind of moody folk-pop lamenting loss in a gorgeous way not unlike Icelandic man of the hour, Ásgeir. The title track is the standout cut however, riddled with slinking double bass grooves and the caffeinated glitch of futuristic soundscapes; complete with a deliciously addictive chorus: “We’re only skin and bones/ too often on our own/ there’s no use running when you feel alone/ you’ll still be skin and bones,” Bull croons. His vocals are strong, powerful in spite of the quivering emotion, which is a nice respite from the anxiety-fuelled vibrato and emaciated throats of neo-folk.

There’s no bones about it, Bull’s sharpening his pop tools. Given enough time, and, hopefully, a resilience to the pressures of chartdom, Bull’s brand of folk can satiate our thirst for a singer-songwriter that isn’t trying to be the next Paolo Nutini. He’s going to face stiff competition from the aforementioned Ásgeir in that arena, but that’s fine for we as onlookers. More of the good stuff for us to gorge ourselves on.