Less wilfully quirky than his previous work, which could occasionally veer into the annoying: Huw Evans’ fifth record as H. Hawkline is his best. Make no mistake, it’s still an idiosyncratic affair. Evans is too weird for it not to be, and producer (and fellow oddball) Cate Le Bon’s own brand of different is also an important ingredient on Milk for Flowers. But instead of opaque artistic flourishes being the primary aim, here H. Hawkline is, for the most part, interested in reflecting on the death of his mother. As such Milk for Flowers is not exactly laugh-a-minute stuff. There is some welcome, if dark, humour here and there, though, and amidst the grief there’s also space devoted to the theme of living one’s life joyously while one can. Musically, this is fragile but passionate nu folk, albeit with restrained injections of electro pop, psyche, indie and at times a hint of something approaching R&B/soul. Evans has a unique voice, which fittingly quivers its way through these (at times almost surreal) reflections on loss. Milk for Flowers is an emotional and authentic ride.