If there was an award for sweetest album ever recorded, Dear Reader would have to be a serious contender (ok it might not be the most rock and roll title around, but still...). Hailing from the not-so-musically-renowned South Africa, this three-piece band and their butter-wouldn't-melt tunes are the perfect soundtrack to a lazy summers day.Previously known as Harris Tweed, until they got a bit of a telling off from the Harris Tweed Authority in Scotland, the band came to being when lead singer Cherilyn MacNeil caught Darryl Torr's attention at a small acoustic gig. The rest, as they say, is history. Now, with another addition to the band in the form of drummer Michael Wright, they are proud owners of a second album, produced by Brent Knopf of Menomena fame.Replace Why With Funny plays out in a short 40 minutes. First track 'Way Of The World', with its folky undertones and graceful arrangement is a perfect taste of what to expect from the rest of the record. Cherilyn has the most achingly delicate vocals and this talent, coupled with the beautifully composed music makes for a very pleasant listen indeed.There are definite comparisons to be made with the likes of Feist and Joan As Policewoman, and perhaps even a bit of our own young folk starlet Laura Marling. Like these artists, the album shines for its sincerity and heartfelt emotional lyrics. 'Dearheart' - one of the albums standout tracks - is the most Feist-like track on the album, with its stomping piano, complimented by gentle strings and a memorable rhythm.'Out Out Out', one of the record's more upbeat tracks, is a little bit Emiliana Torrini, but not without being unoriginal. Cherylins vocals are distinctive and work well on both a cheery and, at times, melancholy level.'The Same'Â takes the crown of most emotive song - featuring the WITS choir, it's about the ongoing racial divisions in South Africa and is the kind of track that might just give you sensitive souls out there goosebumps. Powerful stuff.Relationships are a done and dusted topic when it comes to songwriting, and this album is no exception, but they get away with it by having such a refreshing sound. Tracks like 'Everything is Caving' and 'Release me', Â with their haunting qualities, are clearly lovingly composed and it is this tender nature of the album as a whole that makes Dear Reader such a hidden gem. 78%Dear Reader on MySpace