Micachu - 'Jewellery' (Rough Trade) Released 09/03/09

Mica Levi had a good 2008: two secretly successful seven inches, a couple of grimy mixtapes, a piece commissioned for the London Philharmonic Orchestra and some choice column inches devoted. She is only 21, studies at Guildhall, has been signed to Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Records and is now about to release her debut album Jewellery.

It’s a peach. With the help of her two trusty Shapes – Raisa Khan on electronics and Marc Pell on percussion – she’s put together a record that’s all over the place, but works: it’s a pop record.

Jewellery is 15 pop songs that shift from bumpy hip hop to jangly, geetar crunk, via some Herbert-influenced (he’s worked with Roisin Murphy) swing moments, and is all over in under 35 minutes. There’s hundreds of other styles in there too… but at it’s heart Jewellery is unabashed pop. Mica herself said it’s indecision rather than experimental.

Micachu’s vocals have the straight up chat quality of fellow Lahndaner Billy Bragg. She chats about things like shit blokes on Worst Bastard: “When you pinched her arse she slapped you hard cos you’re a perv,” and taking precautions on the album’s catchiest moment Just In Case: “I Don’t have sex because of STDs.”

While for some artists indecision holds them back, Mica just ploughs on leaving potential mistakes cloaked in ambiguity. The album is full of found sounds and electronic flourishes that compliment the acoustic rattle and solid drums. On final track Turn Me Well she brings in a Vacuum, blending dissonant, ambient noises with crisp bass-heavy beats to create another album highlight.

Other stand out tracks include previous single Golden Phone, replete with dubsteppy backing vocal, Sweetheart for her Snoop-from-The-Wire-esque gurgles and Guts for the pots and pans percussion. Micachu is the shit yo!