Nina Nesbitt

Nina Nesbitt

Peroxide

(Island)

There are two Nina Nesbitts on this debut disc: the one on solid ground, whose songs hang on to the acoustic folksy roots that got the Edinburgh teenager to this point in her career; and the one trying out arena styles for size, whose songs exist in a generic place that her major label would no doubt like her to move on to next. The former makes her presence felt first, opening a big can of earworms on the absurdly tuneful trio of the title track, Stay Out and Selfies. Echoes of Snow Patrol reverberate, however, on Align, despite the wonderful spiralling melody, before Mr C hits a disappointingly cheesy note and ballad Hold You becomes commercially anonymous thanks to a "duet" with Irish band Kodaline. Towards the end, We'll Be Back For More risks "Amy Macdonald goes Mumford" dismissals, although the tougher demands of closer The Hardest Part prove she's got an impressive voice as a backup weapon. The lyrics might not play to older listeners, but when Nesbitt's at her best, no-one writes better pop tunes that speak directly to 2014's teens.

Alan Morrison