Clare Maguire: Leave You In Yesterday

Signed to Polydor Records in 2009 and rated fifth on BBC Sound of 2011, the pressure was on for Solihull born Clare Maguire to deliver high chart positions with her credible pop.

Sadly the big, bold eighties driven statement of Light After Dark failed to find a place in the heart's of critics and audiences, stumbling to #7 in the charts after very average reviews.

The pressure to deliver and an ambitious promotional campaign took it's toll on the young talent and soon after her début album she split with her label and entered rehab. Five years later and Clare Maguire is ready to return to the stage and this time she is firmly holding her own reigns.

Having released an independent EP, Don't Mess Me Around, in February 2015, Clare's loyal fanbase quickly returned and encouraged the release of her sophomore album, Stranger Things Have Happened, which is an elegant, ambitious retro-driven collection that is fuelled by a raw honesty and a diverse record collection of influences.

While the flair for drama showcased on her début is not missing from the set, this feels far more personal as a collection.

Already hailed as by fans her Adele moment, the single Elizabeth Taylor demonstrated that Clare is equally capable of deeply moving storytelling and bare bones emotional delivery.

While there is something striking about her big voiced moments, it is actually in the her more tender moments that she shines the brightest.

The album closer, Leave You In Yesterday, is without shadow of doubt the album's stand-out moment and it is in many ways thanks to the delicate tone with which she delivers the vocal. Understated but calm and collected, it is truly breath-taking.

While Leave You In Yesterday may take the crown for the most moving moment, it is in the album's diversity that Claire shows the true nature of her talent. The folk-leaning, Bob Dylan styled gem Hanging In The Stars to the wistful indie drive of Stranger Things Have Happened, Clare effortlessly delivers each twist and turn with an more than just an accomplished flair.

Haunting, enchanting, insightful and moving. By simply removing herself from the high pressured poisonous environment that originally stilted her creativity, she has finally crafted the album that everyone knew she was capable of.