8/10

Having spent some time over the last few years joining in collaborations, London-based singer-songwriter Marika Hackman has also been working on the follow-up to her brilliant 2015 debut album 'We Sleep At Last'. And after a huge swathe of previews of what we could expect from this new release, we finally get to listen to her latest record 'I'm Not Your Man' in full. And from an initial listen, it certainly takes you on one hell of a journey.

Opening up with the clearly Radiohead-esque 'Boyfriend', 'I'm Not Your Man' builds up a strong mix of sounds all aiming to perk up the ears in the best way possible. While the album sticks mainly to her own signature sound of fuzz and distortion, there are plenty of mellow moments on here that help give the record a sense of pace and rhythm. The ebb and flow of sounds running throughout this release not only aid the sound of the LP to move forward, but makes a glorious ride for the listener.

While we couldn't be so bold as to say that 'I'm Not Your Man' is better than her debut, we will say that it has certainly seen her improve on her own sense of identity. There is a cohesive element to this album that makes feel succinct and very easy to listen to.