Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose Mute***

Don't call Beth Jeans Houghton a "nu-folk" artist – she won't thank you for it. The young Newcastle native's ambitious approach extends to several genres, although there are songs on her debut album that you can easily imagine Laura Marling or Mumford & Sons making their own. Then again, with Atlas's indie-pop riff sounding like it's been culled from Vampire Weekend's antholog and various Eureka! moments involving Florence the Machine-style flourishes, what use are genres? Houghton's voice, a strange mix of St Vincent and Zooey Deschanel, adapts itself to both the smooth pop melodies of Dodecahedronand the ominous tension of Barely Skinny Bone Tree. Aural comparisons flow freely, but there's no question that this is a debut dripping with confidence. bjh.tumblr.com

Download tracks: The Barely Skinny Bone Tree, Dodecahedron