(Memphis Industries)

A gentle debut with just enough edge and earthy Northern lilt to balance the sweetness of the bell-like vocal harmonies, Tell Tales is the work of four non-sisters from Tyne and Wear. The tales told stretch from the overtly modern, grown-up pop of ‘Dance at My Wedding’ to yarn-spinning ballads with an almost timeless quality, like ‘Tommy’ and ‘Pies for the Fair’ – a folksy rhyme with pat-a-cake accompaniment that ends on an unexpected note of cannibalistic menace.

The first four tracks, announced by the stop-in-your tracks imagery of ‘Dresden’ (a cover of a song by little known fellow Geordies Les Cox (sportifs)), are also the best, with not enough of their sparkiness to perk up the second half. Reminiscent of The Unthanks with extra dollops of pop sensibility, and very pretty sounding with it.