The Birthday Kiss - Can You Keep a Secret?/ Worth It

The Birthday Kiss are one of a group of bands leading something of an indie-pop resurgence. Leeds alone boasts talent and tunes from the likes of This Many Boyfriends, Just Handshakes (We're British), The Wind-Up Birds and The Seven Inches (all of which I'd heartily recommend investigating). The Birthday Kiss are fronted by one-time The Research (remember them!?) drummer/backing singer Sarah Williams. With Williams' vocals to the fore here, it's clear what a fantastic vocalist she is as she leads the band through some of the most joyous and uncynical indie-pop you could hope to hear.

'Can You Keep a Secret?'/'Worth It' makes up the band's latest set of tunes (and official debut single), and radiates a kind of effortless charm. 'Can You Keep a Secret?' could almost be some great lost Blondie single. 'Worth It' has the twee-swagger (if such a thing exists?) of Belle & Sebastian's more recent records. They've certainly got the potential to be a really special pop band (and I use 'pop' in the purest sense; this has nothing to do with Simon Cowell's manufactured crap factory). I can't wait to hear a full album. Long live the indie-pop revolution!