Albums
April: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Thundercat, Talaboman, Kingdom and more
Charlotte OC 'Careless People' (Polydor)
Charlotte OC grew up in the former mill town of Blackburn and used to go raving with PBR Streetgang in Leeds. And as ‘Hangover’ and the still-brilliant ‘Colour My Heart’ will attest, she’s got a voice that could melt the coldest icecap. Her new album ‘Careless People’, however, has its sights set on America, hence a slight switch in songwriting direction and a sound more attuned to LA than London or Leeds. The best tracks are ‘In Paris’, a song which Lady Gaga would be proud of; the disco-tinged ‘Other Guys’, a brilliant coming together of her voice and former Ima Robot member Tim Anderson’s production; and the brooding ‘By Your Side’, which wouldn’t sound out of place on the new London Grammar album. Ralph Moore
7/10
