Seven Nations’ most recent release, The Factory, is a jaw-dropping piece of beauty. The song “Twelve” is an achingly splendid ballad, laden with subtle guitars, soaring fiddles, tender highland bagpipes and frontman McLeod’s gentle voice. Full of hooks, addictive melodies and precise musicianship, Seven Nations may be the next frontrunners for the summer tour feel-good band of the new millennium.

Take the heartbreak of “Twelve”, the full-throttle pub-stomp of “The Paddy Set” and the magnificent drive of “Daze of Grace” and you’ve got yourself a history lesson and a rock record rolled into one. Seven Nations prove that they are capable of making fine music, while providing their listeners with a little culture as well.