Allo Darlin'

Now that the Pains of Being Pure at Heart have removed the stigma from liking indie pop, there's a long line of likeminded bands waiting to be adored in a similar fashion. And Allo Darlin' have just jumped to the front of the line with the release of their self-titled debut. Allo Darlin' is a glorious album that never puts a foot wrong. The songs are written by Aussie Elizabeth Morris (who's also in Tender Trap, with Amelia Fletcher) and she manages to make all the inevitable clichés feel fresh and new again, thanks to her wit and charm. Morris's delivery is not unlike Tracyanne Campbell from Camera Obscura, and they also share a wonderful way with words. While the songs might be about falling in and out of love and all the usual things, the execution is absolutely perfect and the ten songs are twee and proud. Right from opener "Dreaming," with its duelling vocals, to the slide guitar on "Heartbeat Chilli," it's hard to believe this is their first album because of the level of accomplishment. Not just one of the year's best debuts, this is one of 2010's best records.