Rating: NNNN
It seems like every time you think the punked-up 60s girl group formula has been exhausted, someone comes up with a pleasing new twist. Cate Le Bon marries simple jangly guitar chords with heavy-hearted Nico-esque vocals, bursts of woozy, disorienting noises and a subtly off-kilter sensibility that never lets you get too comfortable, no matter how peacefully drifting the melodies might be.
She’s been associated with the Super Furry Animals, but that connection is more about their shared penchant for singing in both Welsh and English than it is about the music. Although the Velvet Underground comparisons are useful in describing her sound, this is far from another retread. Le Bon’s pop sensibilities are much more pronounced, yet they don’t dilute any of her wonderful weirdness. Definitely one to watch.
Top track: Cyrk
