Reviewed by Ruth Saint

This is a refreshing change from the boy/girl bands that are so popular now and harks back to the days of Fleetwood Mac, The Beautiful South and Everything But The Girl. Bristol-based HiFlyer are fronted by brother and sister singing/writing duo Elle (lead vocals/keys) and Henry Williams (guitar/vocals) and joined by Tom Raiss (drums) and Mike Edwards on bass. Elle's voice is strong and captivating and at only 17 I can only see her going from strength to strength. One of my favourites, "Is It Possible" is sung particularly well and brother Henry also gives a strong performance on "Carry Me". Pitched at the mainstream, the album features largely romantic songs with a hint of the spiritual coming through here and there. But no one could argue that "Open Up Your Heart" isn't a catchy, rocky love song full of energy while "Light At The End Of The Tunnel" is vibrant, with a catchy chorus. There are two bonus tracks, one with a 1960's beat and a soft touch of the B52s to it which the band obviously had fun doing, while the album closes with "Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Rain". Pull up a deckchair and chill out through the summer with this one.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.