HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... CLARE MAGUIRE?

For a land that hands out pretty crap weather year in year out, it produces some pretty amazing talent. Of course I'm talking about the dreary land of the United Kingdom. Apart from providing us with such visual and vocal beauties like Adele and Marina Diamandis (Marina & the Diamonds); it seems as though the UK has another princess waiting for us to embrace. That princess is Clare Maguire.

The 23 year-old from Birmingham, England, was recently announced by the BBC as one of the top five in the BBC Sound of 2011 list as being one of this years most promising artists.

Her sultry, brooding voice compares her to the likes of Sian Evans (from Kosheen) or Sharleen Spiteri (from Texas). Clare's debut album, Light After Dark, was released late February and achieved top ten status in the UK - a great feat for a any artist breaking into the industry with their debut album.

The Last Dance, Clare's second single to be lifted off the album, is her most successful single to date. Emotionally it's a strong track, and for me it calls upon the same heartstrings as Robyn's Dancing On My Own... powerful... it leaves you wanting more as the song finishes. Clare wrote the number after music legend Michael Jackson's death, in response to unjust comments from the media about his life.

Whilst I'm yet to finish listening to the album in it's entirety, from what I've heard so far it certainly is a strong, mature album - and something very different to what we're experiencing globally right now in the world of pop music. This is nothing like Ke$ha, Rihanna or Beyonce. We're talking more Stevie Nicks, Annie Lennox or even Chrissie Hynde.

Love, love, love what I hear. What a breath of fresh air.

Purchase Light After Dark digitally today [ITUNES]