Bliss

Evidence enough that the collective spirits of Astrud Gilberto, Scott Walker and Jacques Brel refuse to lie down and die. The recent release of Ilya’s unusually accomplished debut album passed relatively unnoticed under the radar, but Joanna Swan is blessed with a resplendent vocal that simply cannot be ignored. ‘Bliss’ is terminally elegant, a lush paean to faded glamour and sophisticated smoky nightlife. Kings Of Convenience are an unusually woody and warm-hearted outfit, given that they are borne of the glacial fjords of Norway. ‘Misread’ is a charming, introspective lullaby, tinged with acoustic melancholia, yet somehow loaded with a wonderful childlike innocence.