7/10
As house music became the sound of 2014, the arrival of Canadian vocalist Kiesza and her debut single 'Hideaway' was an inevitable process. A subtle blend of the token house rhythm and pop sensibility was always going to be an instant success and has already helped the young singer become a household name the world over. But obviously not wanting to be pigeonholed with this niche sound for her whole career, her debut album 'Sound Of A Woman' delivers a lot more imagination and variety than we were expecting.
While the singles taken from the record so far have been this pop-infused dance music experiment, much of the album plays around with genres, which allows Kiesza to really open up her talents and see her perform on a wide range of different influences. Her collaboration with rapper Joey Bada$$ on 'Bad Thing' and cover of Haddaway's 1993 classic 'What Is Love?' display not only the record's diversity, but also Kiesza herself who never seems out of her depth on any track she performs and definitely comes across as an underrated talent throughout.
Even though much of the album is very light on production, it has enough on here to keep it in your head long after you have finished listening. A solid debut from someone who will probably be looking to challenge herself even more next time.