7/10

Having made a name for himself as a guest singer for a number of club producers like Gorgon City and Joker over the last few years, recently Zak Abel has begun to separate himself from that scene in order to branch out as his own entity. For the last couple of months, we have been treated to a variety of future-pop anthems from the frontman, all leading to this, his highly-anticipated debut album 'Only When We're Naked'.

While it is still clear that those initial years backing-up on dance records have had some influence on his solo sound, Abel's energy and exuberance on this new record allows him to take centre stage, a role that suits up down to the ground. With an uplifting direction that sees him take inspiration from the tropical house scene, 'Only When We're Naked' never feels like a cheesy pop record but instead lets out one ray of sunshine after another.

And while it still has its more sombre moments, this debut album could well end up becoming one of the soundtracks to this summer. Zak Abel has graduated from bit-part player to a full-fledged solo artist with ease and gusto.