Another strictly limited, handmade EP from Bostonian outfit Emetrex, ‘Hammer In My Skull’ is a tasty slice of finest Americana, filleted and served with every trimming you’d want. Guitars sound old, bitter and pissed. The drums, out of tune and desperate to be loved. The vocals, too lazy to care for their decaying instruments. Laconic is one word; these are practically narcoleptic.

Vocalist Rick Lescault seems to be complaining about a hammer in his skull. Well, fair enough: I’d be fairly pissed too if someone wedged B&Q's budget model between my eyeballs (and not a little dazed). But he’s advised to leave it be, if such an injury is a factor in the production of music like this, music so timeless it near enough defies any categorisation or comparison. At a stretch, think a fuzzed-up Folk Implosion - Lou Barlow would almost certainly approve. Everything sounds right here: the recording’s lo-fi in spirit but hi-fi in sound; the writing is simple at heart but immediate and affecting in practice. The packaging is lovingly crafted and truly unique.

To not own this, and clasp it close to your beat-skipping heart, is to fall out of love with music.