Uplands

This Swansea-based outfit burst onto the scene in 1999 with Minka, a CD of traditional songs that earned them critical acclaim and a distinctly un-folky fan base of young Welsh clubbers.

Two albums later they’ve made the transition to what one might call acoustic pop: the songs on Uplands are all original, with raw, lo-fi arrangements of guitars, violins and a battery of percussion augmented by harmonies from all five current members of the band.

Neil Woollard’s emotionally overwrought lead vocals can be wearying betimes, but there are some interesting ideas here.