It seems as though the latest wave of singer-songwriters in a folkish/Americana mold aren’t coming from America but from across the Atlantic in the UK. One such clear talent is Bobby Long, who’s been playing around the Los Angeles area this week, appearing at the Hotel Café in Hollywood Saturday and Monday, and the Mint in West Los Angeles this Thursday (December 3rd).

Photo by Sharon Weisz

Originally from Calne, Wiltshire in South West England, Long, now 24, moved to London to further a rising career that found him co-writing “Let Me Sign” with musical compadre Marcus Foster (who should also be checked out, by the way), recorded for the Twilight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by the film’s star, Rob Pattinson. But don’t let that throw you if you’re a Twihard-avoider, because Long is making his own way. The 80-minute set at the Hotel Café this past Saturday (November 28th) was intimate, compelling and quite captivating for a young fellow armed with just a guitar (and harmonica for one song).

Playing selections that included tracks from his self-released Dirty Pond Songs album, hair strewn across his face, Long offered some wry yet also self-effacing intros (including commenting on his problem with a “bulging disc” bringing severe discomfort if he sat, so he stood for the night). He came across as quite personable in a nice, boyish way — a contrast to the often heart-on-the-sleeve, dramatic nature of the material, such as “Left to Lie” and “The Bounty of Mary Jane.”

Other key numbers included the kiss-off of “Dead and Done” (“For the dusk falls to dawn, I’ll have you banished from my mind/I just need a moment’s rest to make it mine”) and the waltz tempo carried “Penance Fire Blues.” He also featured songs that will likely appear on his next release, planned for 2010, “Only You,” among them.

The influences were obvious at times, but they’re good ones, like Dylan and Neil Young. Can’t go wrong there. His way with wordplay and imagery also recalled Conor Oberst a few years back. But unlike Oberst’s early work, Long has already found a fine singing voice to match that imagery. Plus, he’s also an impressive guitarist as a picker and more; it would be interesting to hear him with a little band at some point.

Find out more about him at this dedicated website and his MySpace page.