KT Tunstall doesn't view the world the way 'normal' musicians do. My first exposure to her work was an appearance ion the late lamented and completely magnificent Channel 4 show Popworld in England where she was asked what her breakout single 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree' was about. A story that began with her finding an orange plastic horse in the street and painting it black ended up taking in Darth Vader, her personal view of the world and cherry trees. I was impressed, and became even more so when I heard the single. Tunstall (Who records under the name KT because, as she told Interview Magazine: ""[Kate] just makes me think of a buxom lass baking bread for her man working in the fields. I have no problem with that, but it's just not really how I pictured being a rock star.") is rapdily making a name for herself as a fiercely individual, smart and frequently very funny musician and this album looks set to cement that reputation.

Little Favours

Kicking off the album with the most produced track is a brave but very effective choice. This is flat out rock, the chunky guitar carrying Tunstall's voice as it shifts from growl to delicate and back again. It's a strong track, setting out the stall for the album to follow and, in 'This little universe between our backs' has one of the strongest lyrics on display anywhere here.

Drastic Fantastic -- Little Favours

If Only

The second track on the album is, in many ways, the weakest. It's got the same sort of chunky, driving beat and infectious chorus as many others but sandwiched between 'Little Favorurs' and 'Funnyman' it suffers in comparison. It's still impressive, and the plaintive, repeated chorus of several other tracks is tried out for the first time here, but for me, that's all it is; a tryout for the greater things to follow.

Drastic Fantastic -- If Only

White Bird

Already being talked about as the calmer companion piece to 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree;', this is one of the most subdued tracks on the album, Little more than an acoustic guitar and Tunstall's voice, it demonstrates once again exactly how versatile she is as a writer and singer. It's a surprisingly dark little song too, the central image, of a white bird with a black tale speaking both to the loss of innocence and the idea that no one is ever quite as pure as they seem to be.

Drastic Fantastic -- White Bird

Funnyman

One of three character sketches on the album, 'Funnyman', is a typically unflinching look at someone who is so desperate to entertain, so desperate to get on, that at no point do they realise exactly how brittle and shallow they are. With an almost European, thumping backing, and a soaring chorus which is both triumphant and something beyond bitter and closer to disappointment, it's a remarkably grounded and in many ways very sad song. This is Tunstall as storyteller, recounting how the desire to better yourself, the desire to live up to the stereotype you find yourself assigned can do nothing but harm.

Drastic Fantastic -- Funnyman

Hold On

And just as everything looks set to go a bit bedsit introspective, the deliberately paired, driving backing of this track kicks the door in. Tunstall's voice is all growl and posture here, filled with swagger and the sort of wry, self-deprecating humour that she's so good at it. Backed by an insistent guitar line and with a great chorus, it's no accident this was the first single from the album. Also, if you've not seen the video it's well worth tracking down, seeing her mugged by a variety of musical styles ranging from rockabilly to hip-hop.

Drastic Fantastic -- Hold On
Drastic Fantastic -- Hold On (Music Video)

Hopeless

There's something about certain guitar chords that walks the line between desperately poignant and funny, and from the first bar of 'Hopeless' that's where we are.

Uptempo and again with Tunstall's guitar front and centre, the vocals here are gentler, more traditional than before and it throws the song's central message into relief with elegance and grace. There's a huge tradition in English music, and stand-up comedy, oddly of laughing at yourself and as Tunstall describes exactly how rubbish she, and by extension, we can all be, there's that self-same humour on display here. It's a wonderful song, gentle and insightful, funny and a little sad all at the same time and it could stand to be the third single. If there's any justice, you'll see this over a montage in a rom-com before the year's out.

Drastic Fantastic -- Hopeless

I Don't Want You Now

A rockier feel hits here, for the second character sketch of the album and this time it sees Tunstall's wit far harsher than her voice which at times here sounds a lot like Cerys Matthews' during Catatonia's heyday. The quietly triumphant delivery on the line 'I Don't Want You Now' is as surprised as it is pleased, the song itself a realisation that the best thing about a bad relationship is when it stops. Although the line '...slahs the tires on your one man show' suggests there may be some fringe benefits. Probably the most hummable break-up song you'll hear this year, filled with clever turns of phrase and brutal, relentless honesty.

Drastic Fantastic -- I Don't Want You Now

Saving My Face

The second single, which again sees Tunstall in self-deprecating mood. Starting small before the driving, urgent guitar hits in the chorus it's a song which turns that intellect in on herself, and sees her pleading for a second chance to correct her mistakes. The plaintive delivery on the line 'Leave it all to me, I will do the right thing, maybe I'll be everything I need' is one of the most effective and affecting moments on either album. Far more serious than many of its predecessors and a strong contender for the best song on the album.

Drastic Fantastic -- Saving My Face

Beauty of Uncertainty

Delicate acoustic picking, and a vocal that purrs sets up 'Beauty of Uncertainty' as a serious change in tone and style. The first line 'I need a mirror, in the eyes of a man' is again a remarkably smart turn of phrase, hinting both at the self-obsession we all fall victim to and the need, fundamentally, to find understanding in the one you love. A subtly introduced orchestral backing and the deep, resonant tones of the guitar make this both of the most gentle and compelling songs on the album. A near total departure and a colossally impressive one at that.

Drastic Fantastic -- Beauty of Uncertainty

Someday Soon

After the soul searching and relentless self-deprecation of the previous tracks, Someday Soon is both the gentlest track here and the most triumphant. From the acoustic guitar to the replicated vocals of the chorus, there's a sense here of realising that whilst you may not be right now, you'll be right soon. This is the same sort of ground that the Foo Fighters' best work or 'Moment in the Sun' by Clem Snide has covered in the past and Tunstall can stand shoulder to shoulder with both of them. Quietly triumphant in a very eccentric and deeply affecting way.

Drastic Fantastic  -- Someday Soon

Paper Aeroplane

Closing the album, again, on a gentle note, 'Paper Aeroplane''s calm, pared back production is wrapped around lyrics that echo 'Funnyman'. The central image, of a paper aeroplane battered and bruise dby the winds, bound to come down and bound to come down in the wrong place is a different take on the same concept; that without self knowledge, without realising what you're doing, you can't correct your mistakes and are doomed to simply repeat them. Again, it's a gentle song with a very strong lyric.

Drastic Fantastic -- Paper Aeroplane