Zoe Bestel
Album: Sir Lucas And The Moon
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.zoebestel.co.uk

Born in Liverpool then raised in Galloway, south-west Scotland, Zoë's been making a name for herself on the nu-folk singer-songwriter scene almost ever since she picked up a ukulele in early 2011 at age 13. After releasing her first single to considerable download-chart acclaim and being invited to support the likes of Peatbog Faeries, Emily Smith, Paul Brady and Bella Hardy, she won a place on the prestigious Danny Kyle stage at 2013's Celtic Connections. And here on CD too, we can get to appreciate Zoë's extraordinary presence in this close, intimate and truthful recording. For certainly, Zoë delivers an arresting combination of pure youth and intense individuality of utterance.

Her singing, while both assured and deliberate in terms of direction, is also achingly vulnerable when it needs to be, and her immaculate control of dynamics and register would be considered impressive in one who's been singing for much longer (and, most especially on opening track Listen, Zoë's expressiveness reminded me of the breathy delicacy of Patsy Matheson). Furthermore, her mastery of the humble uke (soprano and baritone varieties) is telling too. And the songwriting - all Zoë's own work - is also very compelling indeed, exhibiting an intuitive and mature sense of understatement that you don't often find in a writer of her age yet retaining that vital aura of fantasy and desire.

These qualities have been well reflected by the supportive and refreshingly minimal production by Huey Dowling, who also supplies a bare modicum of additional instrumentation on a very small number of tracks such as the Winter Song Reprise which closes the disc.

Other standout pieces include Butterflies and Lucas, both strategically placed towards the emotional heart of the disc, and Winter Song itself in its original appearance. Apparently, Zoë's sometimes been compared to K.T. Tunstall and Amy Macdonald, but I can't really get these passing namechecks and in any case they give no real indication of the measure or breadth of Zoë's talent. And in any case, and despite the directness of Zoë's writing, there's also a welcome quality of slight elusiveness that diverts (and kinda makes rather redundant) any attempt at further more specific comparison with other singer-songwriters.

David Kidman