Beth Jeans Houghton & the Hooves of Destiny -‘Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose’ (Mute)

Rather like the recent album from Laura J. Martin, this is a fine debut album from a female singer, who deserves to be tagged with more than just the ‘folk-singer’ tag.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being a folk singer, but in a world full of singer-songwriters, it’s genuinely great to be able to report (or remind you, if you’ve been paying attention before) that here is an act who leaves so many others standing. Yes, it’s folky (in places) but it’s also hymnal, it’s also glam, it’s also sad, it’s also uplifting, and all in the space of thirty-five minutes.

I’m clutching for superlatives here, and wishing that ‘lovely’ and ‘sweet’ didn’t seem so loaded and pejorative. Because this is a genuinely gorgeous album, that’s sung with the voice of a shy angel, that you want to hear again and again (I already have played it several times since it arrived).

What the hell. It’s a mighty fine album from a great new talent. Just go and buy the bloody record and listen to it loads.

****
Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose is out now on Mute