Keren Ann - Keren Ann

Israeli-born, French-raised and New York-based...Keren Ann has quite the varied background and it shows in her somewhat schizophrenic sound. Indeed, the thing that may most come to mind upon listening to her 5th album is a French version of the Velvet Underground, not something you would have labelled her previous efforts.

The problem is that whilst the ideas, in of themselves, are interesting and it is clear that Keren has ambition and talent, few are the times that the album really grabs your attention.

There are certainly the odd moments of genuine brilliance; Lay Your Head Down, with it's strings and handclaps, might be the best composition of the lot, whilst In Your Back, the track most like her previous work, is perhaps the best song.

But all too often the album passes by in a largely unmemorable state. If you take the time to listen you will find things to enjoy, but in the competitive world of the female singer-songwriter, Keren Ann may find that most won't have the time to listen more than once.