AFTER a year of hard graft, Whitehaven’s pop-rock songstress Zoe Warren has released her much-anticipated debut album, Fairytales .

The album opens with Sleep Talking , a mid-tempo rocker with country-inspired harmonies in the vein of Taylor Swift. It’s a fun opener which combines radio-friendly, catchy melodies with indie rock instrumentation.

But for all her rock sensibility, Zoe sounds best when the production is stripped back and her wispy and accomplished vocals take centre stage on tracks like Always You and Fairytales .

One of the first things you notice about the album is how full and professional it sounds. For a local, independent debut album, the production is sleek, lush and imaginative, particularly on The Spark which has an orchestral climax, which gives a sense of grandeur.

Every song on the album is penned by Zoe, with help from a couple of co-writers, and although some tracks are stronger than others, the diversity of the music is impressive for a debut.

Zoe describes her pop-rock style as a cross between Kelly Clarkson and Carly Rae Jepsen, but from the 10-track album you can see how she could make a name for herself by playing to her strengths – writing heartfelt ballads with deeply personal lyrics.

Her introspective, metaphor-laden lyrics and emotionally-charged voice work best on Treading Water , the strongest track on the album, where she bears her soul over a lulling piano accompaniment.

The album finishes with, Prince Charming , which brings Hanson’s cheese-on-toast 1997 classic MMMBop to mind. But it once again shows how diverse her influences are and how she can be fun as well as touching with her songwriting.

Zoe’s voice sounds fresh and tuneful throughout and you can imagine one of her songs making an impact on the radio very soon.

The album is now available on iTunes.