British musicians have always had a knack for assimilating styles from elsewhere. Hailing from the South London neighborhood of Brixton, the twentysomethings in The Melodic (led by songwriter Huw Williams) grew up hearing sounds from their Caribbean and African immigrant neighbors and thought nothing of adding them into a pastoral vision of British (Empire) folk music. On one hand, you have male-female folk vocals that recall Belle and Sebastian, plus plenty of strumming acoustic guitars. But just beyond that is a fluid blend of lush kora textures, lonesome melodica-driven melodies, and snatches of a dozen other acoustic instruments. Along with the heartfelt sentiment of “Ode to Victor Jara,” the most folk part of this band is that nothing sounds plugged in. There's a warm yet meticulous feel to this debut, which was recorded in bedroom studios over the course of several years. Highlights include the bouncy “On My Way” and “Runaway,” as well a the dub-tinged “Watch the World Turn Blue”—but really, there are no bad choices.