Suckle - Against Nurture

"Frances McKee was one-half of the core duo (the other being Eugene Kelly) that comprised Glasgow's wildly influential Vaselines, the pre-International Pop Underground version of Nancy & Lee.

Possessing a pensively assertive yet playfully beguiling voice, McKee sang like some inadvertent hybrid of Sandy Denny and Nico. The Vaselines broke up toward the close of the '80s, but the group would quickly take on a mythic stature after their demise.

Nirvana covered their 'Molly's Lips' and 'Son Of A Gun.' Sub Pop reissued their entire recorded output. And Frances McKee sold her guitar and became a schoolteacher. But she was hardly forgotten.

In the intervening decade or so, the indie-pop world saw its share of Frances McKee vocal wannabes, but for my money only Stereolab's Laetitia and Broadcast's Trish managed to approach her stylistic depth and effortless cool.

Fronting the sextet Suckle finds McKee writing and singing songs of ethereal beauty and baroque splendor, supported by melodica, flute, cello, and glockenspiel in addition to the usual guitar-drum-bass suspects.

Imagine the Velvet Underground taking a spot of tea over at Popol Vuh's house and you might be onto something. I know I am. A most welcome return"