Jewellery is the best, debut album that I have heard in an obscenely long time. Mica Levi is the 21 year old behind the sound of Micachu – backed by her band The Shapes, and signed to Rough Trade. This album utilises what would commonly be considered mistakes in production – hisses, pops, fuzz, distortion. Some of these crazy sounds can be explained by the customised instruments Mica has made – the “Chu” a guitar with an added bass string, and a pedal which pitch shifts another particular string, the complexities of which escape me. Anyway, it sounds awesome. The albums controlled erraticism forced me to pay attention; it’s fresh, androgynous, deconstructed pop. This music comes from someone who has trained in music all of her life, and has warped the knowledge into something absurdly catchy. As part of Mica’s studies, she composed a piece of music for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and fans include Bjork and Bat For Lashes. Standout tracks on Jewellery are “Sweetheart”, “Just In Case”, and the Mint Chicks-esque “Golden Phone”. This album is truly brilliant – and if you want more, download the free grime mixtape below.

:: Darlene Brown