Beth Jeans Houghton: EP (Bird)

14:39 | Thursday June 26, 2008

Despite her young years, 18-year-old Beth Jeans Houghton has a talent and energy that has already propelled her from small Newcastle folk clubs to share the stage with international folkie Devendra Banhart at the Green Man festival last year.

Looking like a gothic Gwen Stefani, but sounding more like Vashti Bunyan mixed with Espers' Meg Baird, Houghton has recently developed a relationship with Finders Keepers’ Andy Votel and his wife Jane Weaver, leading to this EP, Houghton's first release on Weaver’s Bird label.

The set comprises of four beautifully crafted tracks, ripe with delicate melodies and intricate guitar work, and serves as an interesting introduction to Houghton's hushed world.

Opener I Love This World begins with Houghton’s off-kilter bluegrass harmonies which really showcase her potential, while second track The Garden is Houghton at her most ethereal. Distant vocal loops and breathy harmonies drift in and out, and her voice chimes like an unplugged version of Liz Fraser from the Cocteau Twins.

It’s just a shame her MySpace track Milk Bottles doesn’t appear here – it has a more sparkly feel with its glimmering glockenspiels, reverbed violins, and gentle hand claps.

But with another Houghton song shortlisted for Weaver’s Bearded Ladies Vol. 2 compilation later this year, expect to hear a lot more from this blossoming singer-songwriter.