ISOBEL are a band with a future - and a past. In 2004 they played at the Hammersmith Apollo in a line up which included Kasabian and Razorlight, after Isobel won the XFM Radio Rock School competition.

The band members were all 16 at the time.

Since then the boys, who hail from Shortlands, Eden Park and Beckenham, have not rested on their laurels.

Still all in their teens, they have raised the bar again with this new six-track EP, Fairground.

When many young bands strive to produce a great thundering car-crash of sound, Isobel are lyrical and laid back - maybe too much so for some tastes.

But this light touch - combined with high production values - allows the quality of writing and playing to shine through.

A Man From Across The Sea starts off as a lilting, indie folk song, but soon the guitars come piling in, turning up the heat.

Out of Town is a bittersweet ballad which shows the boys can do elegant melancholy, without the dreary world-weariness of the Snow Patrol/Coldplay gang.

Even here, a touch of grungy guitar subverts the sentimentality.

This thread runs throughout the EP; strong dynamics and contrasts keep everything fresh.

David Hayes' voice is sweet and true, but I wish occasionally he'd risk a sore throat and let it rip.

This is a work of distinction but it also hints at greater potential.

While I hope the lads retain their own particular sound and style, I look forward to hearing Isobel delve into some low down and dirty rock'n'roll.

Fairground EP is available online. For details and upcoming gig dates, visit myspace.com/isobeluk