Gregory & The Hawk - Moenie and Kitchi

Young New Yorker Meredith Godreau may have named herself Gregory & The Hawk to avoid being stereotyped as 'another female singer-songwriter', but the secret will get out somehow. Much in the style of a singer-songwriter, Meredith sings songs that she writes too. Whoops. But let's let another secret out of the bag: Gregory (ahem) has a stunning voice, like a less affected variant of Joanna Newsom's lightweight whisper, which could seduce bankers while announcing a stock market crash. Falsetto'd over songs like Wild West and Stonewall, where her guitar is gently embellished with crashing drums, it's breathtaking. Ghost also benefits from a fuller band sound and a rare burst of energy, while Harmless gives a nod to PJ Harvey's intimate neuroticism. But if the album as a whole doesn't quite take off, she's indicated some potential; and if the music career never takes off, she'd make a fine new talking clock. [Ally Brown]