Neu 9mary

: 9mary
Based: London, UK
Listen: soundcloud.com/9mary
Similar to: Jolie Holland

Peculiarity is a rare sensation, one which we ought to cherish whenever we come across it. Take, for instance, young Flo, a 17 year old singer-songwriter with the looks and talent to conquer any X Factor sob-story - only she chooses to use her ability to more profound effect, embarking on a career of uploading pretty pictures to a flickr account and using her voice in the most unexpected of ways. She could sound conventional but she sounds odd. Eloquent, bruised, interesting; it’s everything you want to hear atop an acoustic guitar - anything but a dull lullaby to accompany four chords.

When she titles one of her songs as ‘I Was Born Backwards’, she essentially spells out her unconventional agenda. At first you feel uncomfortable; a similar listening experience to the first time you encounter Antony Hegarty, perhaps. Irish blog Bitzl R picked up on PJ Harvey and Jolie Holland similarities and indeed, you hear these in an instant. But at the same time, Flo Morrissey’s twisted vocals are unlike anything you’ve heard before. And when she declares midway through her song, “I’ve witnessed my fair share of crime,” you gain a delicious taste of the damaged, embittered narrative that Laura Marling sports so perfectly. Everything is in its place for the beginning of a fascinating career.

9mary’s debut EP ‘Fear No More’ is available on iTunes.