Even though the media have taken it on their hands to try and maul Clare Maguire‘s debut album Light After Dark completely to pieces, the good news is that the people who matter (the general public), have spoken out in their droves about how much they are enjoying listening to it.

I mean if NME hate a band or artist, that’s generally a green light for me to show my full support and this is another one of those occasions.

Such is the quality of each track, most people have commented that the majority of these songs could easily stand up on their own as single releases. Even if the media aren’t big fans of the production used on Light After Dark it would be very foolish for them to write off this rising star completely. Whereas other new artists such as Jessie J have dabbled with the producers selected for their debut albums, Clare has remained committed with Fraser T Smith which has given the music a very streamlined and coherent feel.

Tracks such as Freedom and Burn, and even her features on The Streets and Chase & Status’ albums demonstrate that she can definitely stand her ground when dabbling with slightly different styles, whilst also suggesting that she is still finding her feet as an artist.

I think this is a very solid first effort from Clare, and I am certainly looking forward to what else she has in store for us in the future. Grab the album while it’s hot for a complete steal at only £6 on iTunes now!

Stand-Out Track: Burn – Her collaborative effort with Starsmith, and maybe a look towards the future?

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