You always have to worry a little, when you turn over the back of a CD to look at the tracklisting and discover that the one song you know, and undoubtedly love, appears first. You instantly wonder, can the rest of the album follow suit or will it end up being a damp squib? That was my initial thought when I first listened to this, the debut from Miami born, Manhattan raised singer songwriter Sarabeth Tucek. Although 34, she is a relative newcomer in the world of music - having sung backing vocals with Smog, Will Oldham and Brian Jonestown Massacre she certainly has good pedigree. This self-titled album however, is her first foray into the treacherous world of solo work. The (in)famous opener "Something For You" had everyone from Time Out to the Times literally wetting themselves over it in February of 2007. The NME claiming that, "If you don’t think ‘Something For You’ is the most beautiful record released this year, then you might as well fuck off and die". Who ever said the NME had a tendency to overreact? To put it plainly, Tucek's tender delivery seemed to touch everyone that stood in its path. Including me.Musically, this is classic singer songwriter territory. Drafting in producers Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Ray Lamontagne) and Luther Russell (Richmond Fontaine) you can take a guess on how this is going to sound. Fans of Ryan Adams, for example, won't be disappointed. The production is straight down the middle of Heartbreaker's more country, folk tinged moments mixed in with Gold's more electric, fuzzed out feel. It works a treat too. Using Tucek's delicately strummed acoustic guitar and tender vocal as the canvas, Johns really proves himself not only a great producer but a deft musician to boot. Fleshing out these stark and solemn odes to relationship strife and broken hearts into something altogether more wholesome and punchy. At its best, this album is a welcome addition to the female singer songwriter market. The pedal steel strewn "Hey You", previously mentioned highlight "Something For You" or the gorgeous piano-led ballad "Nightlight" hold their own against anything on say, Cat Power's recent efforts. Where Sarabeth Tucek is flawed is on the occasional lack lustre approach to her vocal delivery. As beautiful as her voice is, there is something transparent there which you can struggle to connect with emotionally. It's as if she's detached herself from the songs themselves. "Stillborn" or "Hot Tears" suffer from this, the former for example, is left totally overshadowed by Ethan Johns' soaring guitar lines.Luckily there are enough great songs on here to make up for the occasional slip. "Come Back, Balloon", with its softly strummed mandolin and piano backing is simply stunning. It allows Tucek's vocals to shine and shimmer to great effect. "Nobody Cares", the only up-tempo track on the album, is a fantastic slice of 60's psych-pop that craves repeated listens, and is certainly one of the more satisfying tracks here. All in all, it's a gallant effort by an exciting new artist which, although slightly flawed in it's execution, is an album worthy of your attention. Without a doubt one to watch out for in 2008. 72%Links Sarabeth Tucek [myspace] [buy it]