7/10

Despite being a regular addition to the new music skyline for the last three years, Australia-born but LA-based frontwoman Hazel English has only recently seen her profile reach the soaring heights of industry buzz she has deserved for so long. With a string of much-loved singles and EPs under her belt already, these last few cuts in support of her debut album 'Wake UP!' have been the strong and engaging offerings that have tipped the scales of balance in her favour, and seen the excitement surrounding this new collection reach higher than we thought possible.

Her place on Marathon Artists has been a huge catalyst in getting ears on this new record. Home to the likes of Courtney Barnett, POND, and Jagwar Ma, Hazel English fits perfectly amongst these strong and captivating characters with her own blend of nostalgia-enriched indie-pop. From the start, it is clear that the frontwoman wears her influences on her sleeve. Having talked about her love for acts such as Jefferson Airplane and The Mamas & The Papas, those retro 60s sounds form the base for this wistful yet energetic new record that sees her look to breathe new light into a familiar and still rarely explored time in musical history.

Yet despite being so heavily inspired by an older style, there is still something excitedly fresh about 'Wake UP!' With her almost psychedelic vocals running effortlessly through each single, the album looks to create this kaleidoscopic effect where each song can be stripped down to reveal new and interesting layers at each turn. A solid debut from an artist that looks sure to have much more to share with us very soon.