The recruitment of keyboardist and second vocalist Cathy Rogers adds a strong new dimension to
Heavenly's gossamer pop sound on their full-length debut
Le Jardin de Heavenly; far removed from the shambling aesthetics of their early
Talulah Gosh days, tracks like the opening "Starshy" and the shimmering "Different Day" are compact and direct, and for all of their simplicity pack a real punch. A licensing deal with the U.S. indie K Records also proves remarkably fortuitous -- not only does it help bring
Heavenly's music to the wider audience it demands, but it also allows K honcho
Calvin Johnson to lend his coffin-creak vocals to "C Is the Heavenly Option," a thoroughly charming duet with Amelia Fletcher that's the album's centerpiece. [K's reissue adds the tracks "So Little Deserve" and "I'm Not Scared of You."] ~ Jason Ankeny