Album: The Sand Band, All Through the Night (Deltasonic)

Since the break-up of Oasis, Noel Gallagher has been keeping a low profile, biding his time and quietly working on new material with one David McDonnell, lead singer of Liverpool's the Sand Band.

But here's the surprising thing: in place of the Beatles, the Sand Band's sound is in thrall to Calexico, Elliott Smith, Big Star, Neil Young and Sparklehorse. Dang it, they've even got themselves a pedal-steel player. The result is what the Verve might have sounded like if they'd come from Memphis. Understated and really rather lovely.