From outback Western Australia to Sydney, via busking in London and recording in Taiwan, Julie Kember has put a wealth of pent-up experience into this debut album. But if you just listened to the title track, which is also the opening song here, with its gentler mood and acoustic guitar, it would lull you into a false sense of complacency about Kember’s chosen style. Though there is vulnerability in her other songs, she’s just as often about toughness as well. So any misconceptions get quickly blown away by the second track (and possible manifesto) Strongest Girl In The World – it’s all about how she’s determined to make it, and about how you’re going to pay attention. This is where the production team of DNA – seasoned musicians David Musumeci and Anthony Egizii – come into their own, laying down a big, bold, modern pop-rock sound that provides a dense backdrop for Kember’s more passionate delivery. The three quieter songs here were put together with another producer, Ian Pritchett (Angus & Julia Stone, The Beautiful Girls) and the combination of these two facets serve Kember and her plans for world domination well.

BILL HOLDSWORTH

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