Various Artists – Sing Me To Sleep: Indie Lullabies

Sing Me To Sleep is a compilation of bedtime friendly covers by alternative artists – for an extremely good cause. The twenty-one tracks on this collection were all performed to benefit The Valerie Fund – a non-profit organisation that supports children with cancer and blood disorders. So not only will the lullabies included here help you nod off quicker, you’ll also sleep better knowing that by making a purchase you’ll have made a massive difference to a child’s life.

Not only does it support an extremely worthwhile organisation, it’s also an extremely impressive record. Sometimes these things can feel a bit thrown together, especially with so many cooks heaving their wares into the mix. But the quality never dips here. Whether it’s the adorable Leisure Society’s take on Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘Inchworm’ or Trespassers William tackling ‘Rainbow Connection’ from The Muppet Movie you’ll be left with a smile of your face.

Although it isn’t just children’s classics that have been re-imagined here; covers of The Smiths, ELO, Red House Painters and The Beatles seamlessly intertwine with the freakishly delightful version of ‘Pure Imagination’ from Willy Wonka performed by The Rest. Elsewhere Tanya Donelly croons you into submission with ‘Moon River’ only to be followed by Neil Halstead’s gentle voice re-playing Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting’ – making the thoughts of pillow and duvet ever more attractive.

If you’ve got kids of your own, they’ll find as much here to enjoy as you will. Tired of them singing nonsense from In The Night Garden? Be proud of them teaching their friends the words to ‘Dear Prudence’ instead. Or if you want them to drop off a little earlier than usual so you can watch the football – this is your secret weapon. Just make sure you don’t join them in their slumber – this is pretty potent stuff.