In 2013, Soak appeared in this newspaper sounding refreshingly secure for a 16-year-old in the limelight. Two years on, Bridie Monds-Watson’s debut album sounds as unassuming yet self-assured as the Derry singer-songwriter herself. While she often muses on teenagedom, it’s with the wisdom and restraint of someone older: her delicate, cracking voice recalls that of Julia Stone and makes for a softly heartfelt record. There are some excellent songs here (Hailstones Don’t Hurt’s atmospheric build-up is a fine example of dreamy folk-pop), though at 14 tracks long, the album could be tighter.
