7/10

When she first broke through with that incredible cover of Bon Iver's 'Skinny Love' back in 2011, the then teenage Birdy quickly leant into that rich and euphoric folk-pop ideal she had cemented herself with. With her beautifully sweet and tender voice creating the hallmark of her sound, she ventured on a very successful career as a smooth and emotive artist, delivering a sense of much need passion and vigour to the commercial world. But now onto her fifth full-length, she feels like a whole different artist as she drops 'Portraits', a record brimming with creative ambition.

For much of her career to date, it almost felt like she was trying to live up to the hype and acclaim of that first single, using it as a template in order to recreate that initial buzz. But for 'Portraits', she no longer wants to be seen as this delicate young flower, instead breaking out with wildly fresh and inventive alt-pop aesthetics at every turn. Clearly taking a leaf out of Christine & The Queens' book here, she delivers this wonderfully immersive collection of offerings that see her in a completely new light.

The recent singles gave us an inclination of what this new full-length would entail, but hearing 'Portraits' in its entirety really elevates the direction she looks to be embarking on right now. Spreading her creative wings further than ever before, she is finding a second wind with this new release.