Whitley Bay’s Carmen Curran has been gigging around the north-east since 2020 and this – her partly crowdfunded album – is an absolute joy. From the sweet strummy pop sound of ‘Rain Comes Down’ (a jaunty tune belying its title), to the glorious and country-tinged ‘Bar Sinister’, to the warm and reflective folk sound of ‘The Year That I Was Born’, she really nails these tunes. It helps that she can pen a memorable melody and ‘FAULT’ is brimming with them. Fabulous! DP

Out soon, self release