Staithe are local duo Bridie Jackson and Nick Pierce and their debut album is real stop-you-in-your-tracks stuff. It’s principally what many would call an alt-folk album (“alt” in that they’re not afraid to add minimalistic electronica and other sonic odds and sods to their collective bow), but it’s also an album that casts a real spell, gradually pulling you into its world by dint of some finely wrought melodies that are lifted by Jackson’s clear as a bell vocal. It’s also one of those rare releases that really offers succour to troubled souls in troubling times (“You’re gonna make it through the hours, you’re gonna get your flowers, but ‘til then just stay alive”), and who doesn’t need a healthy slice of that? DP

Released 15 May