Moving from Melbourne, Australia to east London in 1999, last year Miranda Barber saw off 599 other songwriters in a slicethepie.com showcase, winning the first prize of £15,000 to record a debut album.

Soulful, sophisticated and fun, Lips’ Decision mixes the smouldering, late night jazz singing of Billie Holliday with piano-led Joni Mitchell-style confessionals. “Stir them into your coffee, or let them breathe with a bottle of red, the world can wait,” says Barber about her songs in the inlay notes. Opener ‘The Num Num Song’ is pure, joyful nonsense, the walking double bass gently caressing Barber’s sumptuous vocals. Story song ‘Sweethearts’ Embrace’ details a homeless romance, but the track’s social interest is something of a red herring - Barber’s music is all about escape, the aural equivalent of a good coffee table book.

“My music plays on the radio”, Barber imagines on the slightly unsettling ‘My Tomorrow’. With a little luck the smooth MOR of Lips’ Decision may just end up being the soundtrack to your summer.

Ian Sinclair