Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde, aka the infinitely snappier Birdy, has grown up in the full glare of the showbiz spotlight. At the tender age of 12 she won Open Mic UK and then, aged just 15, scored a multiplatinum-selling hit with a plaintive cover of Skinny Love by Bon Iver.
Her ancestry is an intriguing mixture of English, Belgian, Dutch and Scottish, while her greatuncle was none other than the matinee idol Dirk Bogarde. Not exactly the kind of pop star you encounter every day of the week.
Portraits is her fifth studio album, testifying to a prolific output and strong work ethic. It is preceded by a strong lead single, entitled Raincatchers, a well-crafted and impeccably arranged slice of power pop to announce that Birdy is back, baby.
Her trump card is still her voice, which is warm and soulful without ever being histrionic, or descending into an Auto-Tuned circle of hell, a trap that far too many modern pop acts fall into.
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Birdy also reveals an audacious experimental impulse, brilliantly captured on Ruins 1 and Ruins 2. For an artist whose career was launched by giving a masterclass in the art of making a song your own, Birdy succeeds in making Portraits very much her own.
This is an assured album from an artist who is very comfortable in both her sound and her skin, throwing down an impressive marker, and a very pleasant surprise.
