They hail from the west coast of Ireland, but Dott sound more Santa Monica than Salthill. That's largely down to many of the songs on the Galway quartet's debut being written on a US road trip taken by frontwoman Anna McCarthy. Dreamy vocals, three-part harmonies and handclaps on TEFL and Love You Too make for a sweet garage-pop album. Barbed lines (such as Rain Day's riposte to an ex, "You never got a good picture of me, so stick to your amateur photography") will put a smile on any curmudgeon's face. Yet as charming as Dott's rough and ready approach is, the foursome's musical blueprint is ultimately a little limited and occasionally repetitive, the intimations of languid shoegaze on standout track Talk to You proving a scarce exception. Still, while you may not swoon, you'll definitely smile. dottmusic.bandcamp.com
Download: Talk to You, Cherry Blossom