All Angels - All Angels (2006)

In keeping with the current trend for sophisticated fusions of pop and classical music, Universal now present the world's first all-female super-group. All Angels are comprised of four teenage girls - Melanie, Laura, Daisy and Charlotte - who besides being experienced choirgirls have diverse modern listening tastes that span Ella Fitzgerald, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Billie Holiday, Alicia Keys and Coldplay. All Angels, their debut album, starts off with the band's first single, an inspired cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird", a track popularised by Eva Cassidy. The youthful power and subtle glamour of the girls' voices is immediately evident, and becomes even more so as they tackle pop songs like Robbie Williams' "Angels", Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" as well as traditional classial material such as Schubert's "Ave Maria", Barber's "Agnus Dei" and Offenbach's "Barcarolle". Slightly less predictable are their versions of "Sancta Maria" (from Pietro Mascagni's one act opera Cavelleria Rusticana) and "Salve Regina" (from Pachelbel's Canon In D). Manufactured they may be, but All Angels nonetheless provide an authentic listening experience. -- Danny McKenna