Female electro-pop acts is a bit 2009 isn’t it? I mean even one of last year’s success stories, La Roux’s Elly Jackson claims the genre is “done with”. But, let’s not dispel with too much haste because if it’s richly produced and more importantly joy inducing it can provide a healthy aversion to times filled with “cutbacks” and “deficits”.

Derby multi-instrumentalist Leni Ward was facing a personal slump of her own after her seven-year relationship broke down last year. But rather than fill herself with self-pity, Leni decided it would be more productive to almost bask in the sorrow, or as she puts it “I’d choose dancing over depression”.

Such an upbeat approach can be commended if presented in a way that connects with the listener beyond simply sounding familiar and optimistic. Hooks and accessibility might be enough to lure you in but a warmth is required to keep you there. Opening track ‘One Last Time With You’ suggests the latter might not be as forthcoming as you’d hoped. Ward treads the fine line between lyrical directness and insipidness with lines like “I just want to dance one last time with you” and then “You were never the one” on lead single ‘Opening Doors’. But her delicate delivery ensures the album is not rendered completely uninteresting as a consequence of its lack of subtlety. Ward’s voice sits at the sweet end of the spectrum but lacks the seductiveness of noticeable influence Natasha Khan. For all her obvious multi-tasking talents – Leni controls and plays up to five different instruments during each track, generally playing three or four at once – she isn’t blessed with the most alluring, fervid tones.

‘I Will Rise’ sees that voice exposed but rather than enticing you in to her world it just leaves you thinking how remarkably similar it is to Bat For Lashes’ ‘Glass’. That apart, it does prove to be a timely and pleasant way to break up the album to ensure it doesn’t become too reliant on the twinkle of synths.

However, that track alone doesn’t detract from Hope feeling quite systematic and methodical – especially the latter half. The outlines of each song begin to blur as distinguishable features start to fade. Things never sway from being melodious, nor do the tracks ever begin to really chafe but its lack of variety ultimately leads to a blandness which with today’s wealth of choice – particularly of this ilk – mean it’s hard to find reasons to bear with it.