Puzzle Muteson - En Garde (Vinyl LP, CD, 7" vinyl)

"I thought it was a woman but it's a bloody bloke". So said a million dads as Boy George first appeared on Top of the Pops. I had the same revelation with this wonderful new 7" on Bedroom Community. I had it down as a kooky woman from Sweden, instead its a bloke from the Isle of Wight with a particular high pitch tenor somewhere between Nick Talbot (Gravenhurst) and the Sigur Ros one. Like a million dads would refuse to admit in 1983, I find it strangely attractive, especially when coupled with the kind of rolling, string laden, quietly building folk pop that it accompanies. Both sides here are excellent and both recorded with Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigursson in Iceland and certainly there is a feel of the place and its music in its grooves. An album on its way, watch this space.