Ten years as a singer and guitar player in various modern rock and electro bands has paved the way for French songwriter Arno Sojo’s new solo incarnation, under the name Sweet Gum Tree. Influenced by the timeless beauty of refined vintage records, his debut album embodies his quest for a smoother, more organic sound...

The Snakes You Charm & the Wolves You Tame is Sweet Gum Tree's debut album - a collection of thoughtful bittersweet ballads tinged with dreamy melancholia penned and performed by front man Arno Sojo.

The album contains 11 tracks (45 min) with highlights including 'New Rays'; 'Chew Up Spit Out'; and 'Grateful as Fire' - all of which represent impressive upbeat indie tracks

The only track I could have lived without was 'The Crimson Flush', where Sojo appears to be singing a different song to that which the band are performing.

As debut albums go, The Snakes You Charm & the Wolves You Tame is pretty much a textbook example of how to pull it off almost perfectly.

8

Nick Smithson