Almo Sounds

A striking six-footer with streaming red hair, this 20-year-old newcomer looks and sounds like the real thing. Heap and her producers have crafted perfectly detailed arrangements for her gutsy pop tunes, setting her commanding voice on a sea of throbbing synths, nicely shifting drum patterns and tasteful electronic flourishes. Although the layered vocals and rolling piano figures of "Sweet Religion" might owe a thing or two to Siouxsie Sioux, Heap's got her own deal going. "Oh Me, Oh My" is a trippy, funk-pop ditty that's rescued from the brink of preciousness by the ache in her voice, while "Shine" does just that. And despite some Fiona Apple-esque dramatic overkill in the lyrics, the songwriting is first rate. In short, Heap good.