Stevie Parker

The Cure VIRGIN EMI. CD/DL/LP

Frome-raised 24-year-old reimagining the sound of ’90s Bristol.

With her baggy black jumpers and hair messily tangled into a pony tail, Stevie Parker cuts an anti-image figure reminiscent of Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, in marked contrast to her glam contemporaries. For all its moodiness though, The Cure is a slicker proposition than its grittier trip-hop inspirations, thanks to the presence of Maverick Sabre/Duffy writer/ producer Jimmy Hogarth, while mixer David Wrench (FKA Twigs; Caribou) lends his trademark low-end sonic punch. There’s real emotional honesty here as Parker details her troubles of the heart, whether surrendering to a fractured relationship with her first girlfriend in the title track or defiantly stating her independence to the accompaniment of thumping tom toms in Without You. Meanwhile, her lovely, nuanced voice is fully spotlit amid the passions of both Stay and Better Off, showcasing a remarkable new talent.