MIMI WEBB

Amelia (RCA)

There’s a lot of energy in Amelia, the solid debut album from new UK pop star in the making Mimi Webb. After the success of singles such as House On Fire, Webb has capitalised on her rising star status with a string of short and punchy songs that are memorable enough to make her stand out from the rest of the crowd while still ticking the Radio 1 playlist box.

While the ballads may be a little underpowered, Webb does powerpop as well as Anne-Marie et al – see the opening one-two of The Other Side and Red Flags. But there’s also a hint of Taylor Swift in Freezing and Ghost Of You that I imagine Webb, who is presented as a writer as much as a singer, would be proud of.

The closing title track, with a stripped-back intro and warts-and-all guitar part, is a song from Mimi to herself – Amelia Webb – and leaves the impression of an album more personal and promising than you might expect.

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES