The Candle Thieves: Sunshine and Other Misfortunes

It's been noted that the Peterborough duo who record as the Candle Thieves resemble wistful 60s popsters Peter and Gordon. There is a passing similarity – horn-rimmed glasses, engaging harmonies – but it's negated by the acidity of their world view. Enjoy yourself now, they advise on We're All Gonna Die (Have Fun), plonking away on the toy piano that's part of their junk-shop instrument collection, because we're all gonna, well, you know. On The Sunshine Song, singer Scott McEwan broods, "You are beautiful/ But you've got to die someday", as a chirruping keyboard adds a touch of incongruous whimsy. As the album progresses, the mood shifts from maudlin to twee, with a song about "a little room", and another called My Love Will Clap Its Hands for You. Their winsome voices and plasticky instruments are the icing on the cake and, by rights, the whole thing should be indigestible – yet it's actually rather charming.