Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose

As its whimsical title suggests, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose finds Beth Jeans Houghton living up to the playful potential of her EP and demos. Several of these songs -- "Sweet Tooth Bird," "NightSwimmer," "Dodecahedron" -- have been around for a while, but their mix of folk, pop, and rock still sounds unique, due in large part to Houghton's lilting, airy voice. Much like her labelmate Polly Scattergood, Houghton is a will-o'-the-wisp, breezing from song to song and sound to sound with lighthearted grace. Fortunately, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose's carnivalesque atmosphere doesn't detract from what a well-crafted debut it is.