Hi

It looks like it could be a Magnolia. It may be easier to tell when it flowers.

is it a ribes coming [flowering currant] into flower?

It looks like a Maple sprouting.

yes that was my other thought but it seems to have flower cluster buds but could be a female flower.

Don't think its Ribes - I'd like to know when this photo was taken, and would also like to see the rest of the plant.

Looks like acer of some kind to me.

Definitely an Acer. Those are the (deep red) flowers opening, but even without them the leaf buds are relatively distinctive. Impossible to say which Acer from this particular pic, though I'd assume some form of A. palmatum or japonicum from the growth pattern.