I first came across Laura Groves a year or so back and was immediately struck by the quality of her songs and kept an eye on her progress. Her debut does not disappoint. It's not the just the astonishing maturity that she shows as a songwriter for one so young and so early in her career, but her clear-eyed vision is singular and impressive throughout. Painting a peculiarly Northern world, touched with melancholy and wry observation, she goes about constructing 10 fully formed, delicious songs that really get under your skin. I love her voice, part girlish, part womanly that reminds me of early Kate Bush at times - but she might not be to everyone's taste. There's also touches of Joanna Newsom though more traditionally melodic. A contemporary comparison to Laura Marling would probably bear fruit - both manage to conjure up their own worlds and have a keen ear for melody.
If I have one criticism, it's that the arrangements are, at times, perhaps a little too tasteful. And there is such ambition in the songs, that I think our Laura could have gone to town a little more at times. That is probably an unfair criticism considering it was made on a shoestring with friends in Bradford. Perhaps that male voice choir and harp could pop up on her second album? ;-)
Anyway, this girl is destined for big things or there ain't no justice.