Nia
Album: Doctor Doctor
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 4
Website: http://theniamusic.co.uk

Now London-based but originally from North Wales, Nia Roberts is a young lady who's been impressing audiences all around the UK for the past few years, notably with her utterly amazing voice, which grates hard and harsh with the blues and raw old-style country yet also embodies a curiously sexy quality that's not easy to define; it's unyielding and yet proves listenable. For half of this EP, that voice has been recorded close yet with almost too much reverb, and I'm not convinced this is the right tactic to adopt, but that technical element aside, Nia's music still makes a strong and indelible impression; it forces you to listen and fair stops you in your tracks.

There are times (like the pared-down vox-and-guitar final number, Why Do You No Longer Put Flowers On My Grave?) when her delivery reminds me of a more fervent, belting-out sister of Iris Dement, while on other songs she seems to have been influenced as much by Tom Waits as by Bessie Smith or Billie Holiday. Her control of dynamics is at its most persuasive on the uncluttered extended lament of Black Woman (another intense, stripped-back opus).

Nia's preferred song stylings employ heavy blues modalities and kinda blues structures, yet this ain't the blues as we know it, no sir. And her accompanying instrumentation is decidedly unusual and rather cranky but suits Nia's unique vocal characteristics astoundingly well: it varies from raunchy, gritty sax (Jim Hickson) and scrapey violin (Robin Timmis) on Big Brother to (believe it!) sitar (Timmis again) and trumpet (Will James) on the weird title track. Nia's songwriting may be a touch elusive in itself, but she's nevertheless a very distinctive talent with a truly unmistakable voice, and uncompromisingly but sincerely demands your attention through the medium of this absolutely riveting four-tracker.

David Kidman