Arcelia
EP: This Time
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 3
Website: http://www.arcelia.co.uk

Arcelia are a Kentish trio with diverse musical backgrounds. Gavin Alexander comes from the music course at Newcastle Uni and has written songs for the likes of the Flying Pickets. Teresa Gallagher has more of a jazz background, but is probably best known as a voice artist, Noddy and cast members of the Mr Men all have their words spoken by Teresa. Simon Foster's route is via musical theatre. The thing that unites them is their love of acoustic pop with a folk edge.

The recently released "This Time" represents the band's first ventures into the recording world as Arcelia and it's a difficult to fault first effort. Almost from the off, you can sense there is a real love of song in what the trio do, something that's also been brought out with some of their live work where they've supported the likes of Chris Difford.

Difford is actually a good reference point, not because Arcelia sound like him, they don't, it's more the naturalistic way they put their songs together, there's a natural flow to how the lyrics hang together, nothing sounds forced, it's like it's all meant to be there, it's found it'd place.

That makes "This Time" an easy ep to listen to, but it's also a rewarding one, one that gives you credit for lifting up the bonnet and trying to hear what it is that makes the EP tick. Ultimately three tracks are too short to do the band justice, but it's a grand starting point for sure.

Neil King