The Do

Members of the Paris-Helsinki pop duo The Do, Dan Lavoie and Olivia B. Merilahti, have devised an effective way to extract life-affirming melodic substance from the universe's melancholy of indie rock. A Mouthful is one of the best albums that have come out in the last five years.

The Do know exactly how to interpret the bleak and gloomy rock, say, in the style of Polly Jane Harvey, to lighten the heart. The almost weightless arrangements of the songs On My Shoulders and Tammie leave an aftertaste akin to prayers. Operating with acoustic guitar and keyboards, The Do know when to plug the guitar into electricity (At Last), introduce strings (Song For Lovers), and finally blow into horns and deliver some quality rap.