While everyone is cooing and oohing over Lana Del Rey (whom I presently find to be a bit of a bore quite frankly), I’ve fallen head over heels for a chanteuse named Ren Harvieu whose Salfordian dream pop surpasses the swaddled lullabies I’ve heard from Ms. Del Rey. An honor, then, that Ms. Harvieu has been rightly included in the BBC Sound of 2012 longlist. Her single, “Through The Night”, will be out on 16 January in UK.

Having heard this small sample, I think that you, too, in short order will fall for the graceful 20-year-old with the hopelessly fragile & ageless voice paired with a timeless beauty possessed of only one or two rare birds passing through to grant solace in these hardening times in which we live. If upon hearing her sultry voice you should think that Shirley Bassey or Dusty Springfield are being channeled, it is one of the pure magic tricks given by nature.

Bravo, Ms. Harvieu, and here’s to you and a melodious and prosperous career.

Ren Harvieu – Sister Morphine (Recorded for MOJO Magazine)
Ren Harvieu – Forever In Blue
Ren Harvieu – Through The Night

::: ADDENDUM – Have a look at this video accompaniment to ‘Sister Morphine’ where Ren details her experiences with the drug following a three months stay in hospital for injury.

::: ADDENDUM pt. 2 – Here’s a video of Ren performing ‘Forever Blue’ at Maida Vale for BBC Introducing

[ Ren Harvieu Official Site | Ren Harvieu on Facebook ]

September 6th sees the release of Charlotte Gainsbourg’s Terrible Angels EP (Because Music/Elektra) featuring two unreleased songs — the Conor O’Brien/Villagers-penned “Memoir” and this title track, written and produced by Beck. Also included on the EP are two videos, one of which is this Nathalie Canguilhem-directed video. Look for Charlotte’s double album, Stage Whisper, to be released on 8 November in the U.S., featuring a mix of live and unreleased tracks. (via Pitchfork)

Jed and Lucia have released a limited vinyl run on Ubiquity Records of their latest EP Helium accenting a fascination with dreamy, ethereal synth-pop (a fascination which I share). Their nuanced style on this, the title track from the EP, is warm and simply textured. Not unlike contemporaries Toro y Moi and James Blake, Jed and Lucia seem to understand perfectly how to combine unetched harmonies with a cacophony of echoes and found noises that brighten corners and sweep into rooms like fading sunlight cast through the window, muted in abstract patterns against the drapes on a lukewarm October day.

::: Jed and Lucia – Helium (Letherette Remix) :::

Here’s the original version (as a point of comparison):

Lungs Quicken by Lanterns on the Lake

For three years now, we’ve watched as Beach House has gone from humble, subtly hypnotic Baltimore slack-key-core twosome to a fully realized and accomplished recording act. With the forthcoming release of Teen Dream on their new home label of Sub Pop, the team of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally will have completed a transformation that has allowed them to take on a new sense of direction in the music and in their lives.

Check out this track, “Norway”, from the forthcoming album & head over to Sub Pop for further details on the band and their new record.

Beach House – Norway

[Beach House at Sub Pop]