Nearly two months have passed since I posted Whatever Happened To: The Sundays, and I’m sorry to report that there is no news. The band remains on hiatus. But back when I was researching that piece, I stumbled upon an artist that fellow fans should find worth a listen.

Filipino singer-songwriter Swissy is forthright about her fondness for The Sundays. Harriet Wheeler is listed first under “Sounds like” on her MySpace page, and the band second only to The Beatles among her influences (The Cardigans, Crowded House, and Feist also make the list).

Born in the Philippines and raised in Australia, Christina del Mundo played piano at age 9 and guitar at 15 without formal training in either. Though she enjoyed writing songs, del Mundo chose a career in IT over music before deciding in 2006 to give the artist thing a shot. Returning to the Philippines, she won audiences over with her sweet-voiced melancholic pop, and signed with indie label Terno Recordings that December as Swissy. She Smiles, her debut, was released last June.

Listening to the album’s twelve tracks, it’s obvious she’s got a case of The Sundays. In fact, Swissy’s vocals so often resemble Wheeler’s that one might suspect an elaborate ruse by the supposedly dormant UK band. Yet while imitation may very well be the sincerest form of flattery, it takes some real talent to craft tunes as captivatingly lovely as these.

Standouts on She Smiles include “Rainy Days” and “Your Life’s In Rewind,” plus first single, “How It All Started.” The video predated the album’s release by several months, a #1 hit on MTV in the Philippines:

So why not let Swissy tide you over ’til The Sundays return? Listen to more songs at her MySpace page, or download She Smiles via iTunes, Amazon MP3.