This debut from England's The Milk is 45 minutes of big surprises, from the group's odd name and strangely out-of-place album artwork (better suited to, say, The Hives or The Libertines) to the huge, infectious R&B-rooted stomper "Broke Up the Family," which opens the album, and the gospel-tinged piano ballad that closes it ("Lay the Pain on Me"). With a voice as viscous and savory as king crooners Cee Lo Green or Aloe Blacc (check "B-Roads" or "Picking Up the Pieces" for a shot of hearty, radio-friendly soul), Rick Nunn and his band stir up an intoxicating blend of Northern soul and vintage R&B with astonishing ease and warmth, never looking back at the band's punk roots. A shot of hip-grinding blues here ("Kimmi Kimmi"), a hint of ska there ("Nothing but Matter"), and pungent doses of Motown ("Every Time We Fight," "Chip the Kids") make Tales from the Thames Delta a fantastically sweat-inducing good time. If The Milk manages to evolve its retro leanings into something even more contemporary down the road, that'll surely be something to see.