Alessia Cara introduced herself with the introvert anthem ‘Here’ – a party jam from the perspective of someone who hates parties.

The 19-year-old Canadian continues in this ‘out-of-my-face’ vein through her debut. She locks herself in her bedroom to get over a broken heart on ‘River Of Tears’; and she sings her sorrows away on the claustrophobic ‘Four Pink Walls’. With Taylor Swift among her cheerleaders, Cara seems to be coming around to the idea of mainstream stardom, however, and tracks such the upbeat ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Wild Things’ find her embracing the dance-floor (albeit with the occasional mopey flourish).

Throughout, the most appealing quality is her apparent lack of contrivance. It’s just a few years since Cara was trying to find an audience via YouTube. Now, with Swift in her corner and a major label at her back, Cara is on the fast-track to stardom.

Perhaps this is the best time to appreciate her, when she is still endearingly naive, and wondering just what sort of life she’s signed up for.

Key Track: ‘Here’

7/10

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