Though she’s still only 21, Geordie nutbar Beth Jeans Houghton has been kicking about for years, having cannily avoided the new folk boom and ducked early hype. Her long-in-the-crafting debut, released through Mute on February 6, is a welcome revelation, beefing up the alt-folk of 2009’s Hot Toast EP with all sorts of psychy and strange meanderings, placing her closer to an English Regina Spektor than your Marlings or Mumfords. Backed up by the rambunctiously solid Hooves Of Destiny, the likes of the romantic, seashantyish ‘Nightswimmer’ and the glorious trills of ‘Dodecahedron’ showcase a sonorous, wry voice with an unpredictable, skewed lyrical temperament. Look out for a review on Monday, but in the meantime, we’ve got a lovely exclusive stream of it, which you can listen to below and preorder on Amazon here iTunes here and at Beth Jeans Houghton’s own site here and check out tour dates after the embed.
February:
17 – Glasgow, The Captains Rest
18 – St. Andrews, St. Andrews University
19 – Middlesbrough, Westgarth Sc
21 – Liverpool, Eric’s
22 – Manchester, Deaf Institute
23 – Leeds, Brudenell
25 – Newcastle, Gateshead Old Town Hall
26 – Leicester, The Musician
27 – Cardiff, Buffalo
28 – Bristol, Louisiana
29 – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
March:
1 – London, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
