The latest CD release reviewed

SILJE NES
Ames Room Fat Cat ****

Bergen, a cosy, picture-postcard Norwegian town, has produced a wealth of great pop, including Röyksopp, Annie, Kings of Convenience, Ralph Myers and Sondre Lerche. Silje Nes has also called Bergen home, but her music comes from a much different source. Ames Room contains a bunch of home recordings with an alluring sound, fascinating spirit and charming timbre, which makes you want to know more about their creator. These are songs that Nes recorded as she wrote, but the sounds she was hearing in her head were pretty special ones. Using whatever instruments were at her disposal, Nes crafted layer upon layer of blissful dream-pop. The magnificently childlike and sun-splashed groove of Over All, the drowsy, beautiful lull of Giant Disguise, and the sweetly pitched coos of Dizzy Street are just some of the keepers from this dashing document. www.myspace.com/ siljenes

Jim Carroll

Download tracks: Over All, Giant Disguise