COLDHARBOURSTORES, the London dream pop fronted by York singer Lucy Castro, will play The Crescent, York, on August 2.

"We're really excited about it," says Lucy. "I love the venue and I'm pleased to be working with Joe Coates, of Please Please You, who's promoting the show."

Joe says: "Coldharbourstores have just released an ace album on the Enraptured label called Vesta, which was recorded with Bark Psychosis legend Graham Sutton. It's one for fans of that classic 4AD sound, shoegaze and glacial pop music."

Lucy will be performing alongside David Read, Michael McCabe and Liam Greany at this summer's 7.30pm gig. Tickets are on sale at £6 (more on the door), available in person from The Crescent, off Blossom Street, or Earworm Records, in Powells Yard, Goodramgate, or at seetickets.com/.

York Press:

Lucy Castro: Coldharbourstores' lead singer

Win the album

COURTESY of Lucy Castro, Coldharbourstores and Enraptured, The Press has four signed copies of Vesta to be won.

Question: Who produced Coldharbourstores' new album?

Send your answer, with your name, address and daytime phone number, either on a postcard to Charles Hutchinson, Vesta Competition, The Press, 84-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN, or by email to charles.hutchinson@nqyne.co.uk, marked Vesta Competition, by March 22. Usual competition rules apply.

York Press:

The album artwork for Coldharbourstores' Vesta

York album of the Week

Coldharbourstores, Vesta (Enraptured Records) ***

THIS is only Coldharbourstores' third album in 17 years, but their second in three after escaping their wilderness years with the aptly named Wilderness in 2016.

The point of interest here is the presence in the essentially London combo of vocalist Lucy Castro, who has returned to York to live and teach voice and singing in her home city, where she first sang in Em Whitfield Brooks' all-female blues choir Ellacappella.

Vesta, a title matched to the closing track Swan – think about it – is "essentially a love album, universal, personal, eternal, keeping the flame alive no matter what", say Castro and co.

You can't help but hear echoes of expansive 4AD glacial pop, especially vintage Cocteau Twins, while elsewhere Dubstar, Saint Etienne and the neglected White Dove come to mind, as do shoegazing dream pop, New Order's embracing of electronica and The Cure at their most romantic. David Read, Michael McCabe and Liam Greany bring complexity to marrying such tropes on eight lingering caresses, curled around Castro's lovely, lovely voice.
Charles Hutchinson