Heartbroken by Abbie Lammas Reviewed by Steve Rudd

A prodigiously talented singer-songwriter, Hornsea's Abbie Lammas might only be fifteen, but she's cranking out songs that are mightily mature for her age. Heartbroken is her debut album, and it's an eight-song-strong affair that perfectly shows off Abbie's talents. For the most part, the songs feature just her and her trusted acoustic guitar, though there are a couple of notable exceptions. Every track is an absolute gem, with a mesmerizing rendition of The Cranberries' Zombie nestling in and amongst seven original songs.

Give In opens proceedings, with Abbie's coolly finger-picked guitar melody accompanying her spellbinding vocals that really take flight come the song's chorus and the catchy refrain, 'You give me nothing, so I just give in to you.' It's quite a dark number, and suitably dramatic in tone. Vampires Pain is even more atmospheric, and come the enchanting chorus you can't help but be in awe of Abbie's full-bodied and versatile voice. Indeed, the strength of her voice goes above and beyond the call of duty on Used To You as she hits and holds some extraordinarily high notes to stunning effect.

The balance between the guitar level and her voice is spot on, while the change in tempo that she utilizes between her verses and choruses proves to be devastatingly effective. Ballerina Girl, meanwhile, pits lushly strummed chords against her affecting vocals.

The subtle inflections in her voice lend raw emotion to her lyrics, with the angst always well-controlled, allowing the deep and meaningful nature of her songs to shine all the more. As aforementioned, Abbie's interpretation of The Cranberries' Zombie is nothing short of dazzling, with her cover of the classic Anti-War anthem managing to sound even more haunting than the original, the perfectly pitched vocals undeniably in the same league as Dolores O' Riordan.

I just hope that Abbie records her cover of Rihanna's Umbrella on her next release; check out the 'You Tube' video of her performing the song at an Acoustic night in Hull and you'll understand why… Out of the blue, the rockiest track on the album erupts in the form of the title track: Heartbroken. Complete with a fetching backbeat and a charging electric guitar riff, it's certainly a departure from the other material on offer, with such a spirited and effortlessly cool burst of energy swaggering forth with the new-wave punk attitude of Blondie's music.

Hold On, however, hears Abbie's voice swoon to the most breathtaking of degrees, before she wraps things up nicely with The Day, a classy track with an awesome guitar riff and thoughtful lyrics.

When you bear in mind that this album was actually recorded when she was only fourteen, it just goes to prove how naturally gifted a singer-songwriter Abbie Lammas is. She's no stranger to hitting the road and taking to stages across East Yorkshire either; she regularly plays gigs in the area, understandably plugging her stunning music all she can. As well as conjuring up some wonderfully memorable melodies, she is also keen on writing interesting lyrics: a fact which makes her songs even more of a joy to listen to. As for her spine-tingling voice, it has to be heard to be believed. In a word, it's divine.

Suffice to say, Abbie's music deserves to be heard, and the best way to hear it is either by buying a copy of her album, or by checking out her Myspace page. Even better, why not do both? ... For more information, please visit www.myspace.com/abbielammas

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