For French 20-something, Owlle, music is a way to tell stories, a way to embrace freedom and other worlds, and very much expose two sides of the same coin. As an arts graduate, on her debut album France, she continually demonstrates that visual art can be as much an influence over recorded output as other sounds themselves can...

France is Owlle's debut album. The most remarkable thing here, is that it sounds like a more experienced artist's third or fourth album. There's a confidence and self-belief in the material that shines through making it infectious. Very few artists could pull off the lyrics on 'Ticky Ticky' without it sounding at least a little cheesy. However, Owlle pulls this off incredibly well.

I found it odd that 'Fog' was being released as a single, as I'd argue it's one of the least memorable tracks on the album. And, with no disrespect meant, it sounds a little Eurovision-esque. Owlle, herself, points out that the song is constructed to be both claustrophobic and, at the same time, give feeling of someone running incessantly after something. While 'Fog' will grow on you... I didn't find it as instantly accessible as most of the other tracks.

On a vocal level, I was immediately drawn to the fact that there's a slight sound of Madonna to both her voice and musical choices. This is probably most notable on 'Creed', which I'd argue is as close to a mainstream pop track as the album ventures. Other highlights include 'Don't Lose It', 'Silence', 'Disorder' and 'My Light is Gone' (which incidentally also sounds like a Eurovision entry).

Be careful when picking this album up as you'll want to make sure you purchase the UK exclusive which includes two bonus tracks: an acoustic version of 'Silence' and a remix of Fog'.

8

Nick Smithson