(157 Records/Absolute Label Services)

If you ever spend any time listening to Radio 2 (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), then you’re likely to have stumbled across favourite artist Nell Bryden, who is not only a regular playlist fixture but has hosted her own shows Nell’s Angels and Nell’s Kitchen in recent years.

Now she’s back with a new album which will hopefully introduce her to an even wider audience, as she enters the next stage in her career journey, with a newfound maturity and understanding of the songs she needs to write at this point in her life.

Despite being a native New Yorker, there’s a definite British sentiment to this collection, and I found it hard to avoid drawing comparisons with Annie Lennox’s work in the Eurythmics when initially listening to certain tracks. Of course, that’s nothing to shy away from, but after a few whirls of the CD I started to appreciate Nell’s originality and identity in its own right.

There’s a depth here in music and lyrics which might be overlooked if it’s merely background noise on the office radio or car stereo, and it’s definitely worth spending time sitting down to actually listen to this collection of songs and enjoy what Nell’s doing here.

All of a sudden it becomes an album you want to listen to over and over again, as you find fresh nuances, appreciate turns of phrase and instrumental quirks, and suddenly realise that you’ve found a new talent you might otherwise have overlooked.