Many will remember Aurora Aksnes from her version of an Oasis song for a Christmas TV ad, but the 19-year-old Norwegian singer’s debut album indicates she has a lot more interesting talents in her arsenal.
An album of melancholic, dark and alien synth-pop, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend is otherworldly in tone and timbre and creates a compelling narrative.
In terms of songwriting, Aksnes is a hugely astute craftswoman, well capable of distilling the angst and anxieties of a teenage world into emotional, intimate material.
There's a menace and unease to tracks such as Murder Song and Conqueror, while "Warrior" shows Aksnes can also turn up the tempo and show a brighter side.
This album demonstrates Aksnes has remarkable potential.