In honesty Basia Bulat could sing over just about anything and I would still feel like she was pouring caramel over me. But regardless of any prior feelings I may have, it is undeniable that Good Advice has that timeless feel of being at once triumphant and mournful, perfectly exemplified in the opening track ‘La La Lie’. Although this album seems to stray away from her folk roots towards a more pop orientated sound, it works pretty well. She puts simplistic but heartfelt words over repeating, catchy melodies, making sure you can still hear her country twang resonating in your head long after you’ve finished listening to the record.

With her country background, Basia Bulat thankfully edges more towards more Joni Mitchell than Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus. She’s intelligent in the composition of her sound, which has helped her to progress to the modest pop that characterises Good Advice. She sets herself apart with bold rhythms and unapologetic lyrics, so that the impression she creates seems far from manufactured or whimsical.

She’s undoubtedly the same girl singing to us as the one in Heart Of My Own and Tall Tall Shadow, but with a different energy. There’s more bittersweet honesty and optimism in her words; ‘Long Goodbye’ opens with “Tell me again how you love me/Even the days when you doubt it”. Her voice is the voice of someone looking for some saving grace in a love which is seemingly doomed. With Good Advice, Bulat brings her music into a new league which may with a bit of luck bring her more recognition and deservedly so.

Tess Crozier