Unkle Bob

Originally released in 2006 in the UK, Sugar & Spite has received exposure stateside by having songs used in CSI: Miami and, inevitably, Grey's Anatomy. That fact should suggest the kind of thing to expect: gentle acoustic music that fits well in the background of dramatically romantic scenes in a TV show. That's perhaps a little unfair because despite the way they're being introduced to a wider audience, Glasgow's Unkle Bob have made a decent little album. They are obviously fans of both Travis and Snow Patrol, favouring quieter, evocative songs, bringing a folkier side and also some rather lovely orchestration that makes them more than just another Coldplay-esque band sent to bore the world. Their strong points are the songs that hearken back to the melodic pop that was coming out of their hometown in the late '80s, thanks to the Bathers and Aztec Camera. This is a very pleasant surprise.