Cathy Davey

Something Ilk (Parlophone)

In a world where every other new female singer-songwriter wants to be Katie Melua, it’s nice to find one with aspirations to being the new P. J. Harvey or Kate Bush. Certainly, if most of the current crop of pop Bridget Joneses seem to write their songs in the front room with a glass of chardonnay and a weepy movie, then Davey is up in the attic, rooting around in bittersweet memories and dark secrets.

She is equally good at rocking out or doing the beguilingly quirky pop thing, but it is Davey’s remarkable voice that makes her stand out. Like a less showy Björk or a more sober Cerys Matthews, it runs the gamut from little girl spookiness to full-on rock bellow, occasionally within the same song. And when those songs are as quietly addictive as the eccentric Cold Man’s Nightmare, the menacingly jaunty Clean and Neat or the bluesy Come Over, this proves to be a very fine thing indeed. Dig a little deeper and Davey’s oblique lyricism will also enthral — if only because Save Button manages to incorporate the word “coagulating” into a song about failing to back up your hard drive.