Album: Jo Hamilton, Gown (Poseidon) ★★★★

Surprising second album from classically trained Scottish ex-folkie.

A spell with Ashley Hutching’s Albion band suggested Jo Hamilton might be another winsome Britfolk girl but Gown reveals her as more Goldfrapp than a Sandy Denny wannabe. The inherent strength of her writing make it easy to hear how songs such as ‘Exist” and ‘Pick me Up’ could work in simple vocal / guitar format. Instead Hamilton and producer Jon Cotton have layered them with electronics and intriguing samples. She’s got an amazing voice to, that can glide like KD Lang (‘Think Of Me’) or essay Bjork weirdness (‘Paradise’).