With a sound in the vein of Beth Orton, Lykke Li or even Bat For Lashes, Tibi & her Cello are an astounding addition to the Lazy Acre Records roster. The band consists of Spanish and Norwegian duo Teresa Bernabé and Jørgen Berg Svela but are beefed up in the live setting by a host of additional musicians including members of the band Making Marks. Tibi & her Cello’s current EP ‘Lost in the Sounds’ is the kind of record that hints at great things to come, and the news that the duo are currently in the studio recording their debut long player is news to be welcomed with open arms.

‘Far Away’ opens the ‘Lost in Sounds’ EP with the cello right at the forefront of the sound, as cute and charming vocals wrap around each other in luscious fashion. ‘Could I Stop Rolling’ is another slow-burner, but no less beautiful. Teresa proudly showcases her tremendous voice and cello-playing ability –more often than not at exactly the same time. She sings about how ‘the rain is coming once again’ and this is just the kind of unexpected treat you’d discover early morning in The Park at Glastonbury. The EP features a live recording of ‘You Will Come for More’, a song that shows they are just as capable in a concert setting as when they are in the hands of a producer. Reminiscent of Laura Moody’s oddball pop, there’s also the essence of Tori Amos as Teresa seductively sings ‘kiss me, kiss me, kiss me’.

‘My hands are trying to touch, your eyes are trying to see’ opens the touching love song ‘My Hands’ and it’s a song that offers more and more on repeated plays. As Teresa sings ‘another time, my heart is right’, more and more instrumentation giving the song a full sound that is quite the departure from the rest of the EP. The jaunty opening of ‘I’ll Be Alright’ mixes handclaps with a celebratory atmosphere as the band sing ‘You are the rainbow of my life, you are the colours in my eyes, you are my friend, I’ll be alright’. The kind of lyrics you’d expect from a Walt Disney film – and that’s not a bad thing at all. The cover of Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Chicago’ does not quite capture the unbridled joy of the original but it’s an effective take and features the vocals of Gary Daly, who duets with Teresa, as echoed backing vocals wrap around the duo.

With a sound so fully formed, it’s amazing to learn that the duo only formed last year. Although a classical sound resonates throughout every track and there are strong leanings towards folk, the songs are never less than exciting, inventive and innovative.

You can buy Lost in Sounds from Lazy Acre Records.

Find out more about Tibi & her Cello:
@tibiandhercello
https://www.facebook.com/tibiandhercello
Lazy Acre Records