Last year while everybody was busy going wild over the Pipettes and their warmed-over take on the girl group sound of the ’60s, another band in England was effortlessly knocking their weak efforts into a cocked hat. Lucky Soul are influenced by a similar musical era but instead of slavish imitations, they pump their Northern Soul meets G-Group sound with a thrilling blast of energy and, thanks to Ali Howard’s sweet and soulful vocals, a warm emotion that’s missing from the Pipettes’ clinical approach. Lucky Soul also easily trump Duffy’s studied, over-blown and over-sung songs, give Candie Payne a run for her money and provide an indie pop alternative for anyone who’s tired of Amy Winehouse’s antics but still has an affinity for her backwards-looking, soulful style. (And though this might scare off older folks and mystify everyone else, if you close your eyes you can almost hear a Bite-era Altered Images influence, especially in Howard’s voice but also in the lushness of the arrangements.) The group’s 2007 debut album The Great Unwanted was pretty much slept on but it’s possibly the most joyful, pure-est pop album of the year. Go Myspacing for samples or watch the video for the wonderfully melancholy “My Brittle Heart”:

 
And for a decidedly more peppy version of the band’s sound…here’s “Add Your Light To Mine, Baby”: