8/10

Over the last few years, Oxfordshire's Willie J Healey has found himself riding a wave of praise and acclaim across the industry. Dubbed at times "the songwriter's songwriter", Healey's sound has managed to catch the attention of hoards of those in the know, cemented with his first two LPs 'People And Their Dogs' and 'Twin Heavy'. But after a few years of really seeing his career begin to take off, he is now looking to capitalise on that buzz with the release of his third studio album 'Bunny', a record brimming with fresh and emotive innovation.

Unlike many others in his field, Willie J Healey prefers to take the humbled acoustic-led nature out of the singer-songwriter staple in order to pursue a more adventurous approach to his direction, and this is exactly what we get once again on 'Bunny'. Dabbling in a whole host of other genres and aesthetics such as soul, R&B, funk and so much more, this new collection makes for a wonderfully fresh and enticing listen as it effortlessly moves from one insatiable ideal to another, delivering one of his most passionate offerings in the process as well.

While these last few years have certainly been a positive time for his presence within the scene, 'Bunny' shows that he is still finding and developing new ideas throughout. Building upon an already confident foundation, it feels like he is finally about to break free of his hidden gem status and become the household name he has always deserved.