Presenting…Beth Jeans Houghton
One of the downsides about being sent so much new music is that it is impossible to get through it all, with the net result that you can get really jaded listening to rubbish and not get round to the good stuff. Well, I have finally been able to give Beth Jeans Houghton a listen this evening, and she’s flaming awesome.
She seems to be getting pigeonholed as a folky, but she has the voice of an angel, and she’s signed to Mute, one of the coolest indie labels ever.* Her debut album will be released in early 2012, this year she has released a couple of gorgeous singles that I cannot believe I hadn’t heard until now: ‘Dodecahedron’ and ‘Liliputt’ -the latter recorded with her band The Hooves Of Destiny. If you go back you will also find the ‘Hot Toast Volume 1 EP’ and’Golden’/'Night Swimmer’ single, which we released through Static Caravan.
So smitten by this sound am I that I have bought all I can find of her music online tonight (even ‘Dodecahedron’ which I’d just got a free download of). You can keep your Laura Marlings, this Newcastle-Upon-Tyle lass has the voice of Elizabeth Fraser crossed with Vashti Bunyan.
Beth Jeans Houghton -’Dodecahedron.’ mp3
*no, they are no longer owned by EMI, do keep up.
not bad at all. Better check for other stuff
You can spend less than a tenner on download services (if your local indie shop does not have any of her stuff) buying her work so far.
Money well spent, IMHO.