I’ve found it rather difficult to come up with an adequate analogy for Braveface, as the reviewers in NME and such like always do. Perhaps that’s a good thing, after all if something’s genuinely original then who’s complaining? When I first saw Esser perform, in Cardiff as support for the Kaiser Chiefs, he certainly made an impression on the crowd, even if it was one of mild bemusement. Jumping around the stage in a vest and jeans and sporting a bastardised Elvis quiff, I was taken in by his new take on the techno-pop genre.

The only thing is, I don’t think this debut album is fully deserving of the ‘original sound’ tag. The title track sways along sounding like it wants to be sung by Lily Allen, as do several others, while other tracks are simply baffling – Leaving Town complains of life in London (sound familiar?), rhyming as only a ‘mockney’ can: “If you’re wondering where I am/Baby I’m leaving taan/Don’t like buses much/And I’m sick of tha undergraand”.

But it’s not all that iffy. Headlock is a catchy if repetitive techno-groove, while the sample-laden I Love You will grow on you. Satisfied is the highlight, with a crashing piano intro leading into a fantastic piece of techno-ska with the odd nod in the direction of Madness in the synths and layered vocals. I’d perhaps go as far as to say that this is probably worth the admission fee on its own, and I hope it makes a single.

Which does raise the question of Work It Out, Esser’s first single. A samey, plodding, rather monotonous track is hardly going to lead anyone to invest in the whole album. However, I would certainly encourage those who, like me, see themselves as open to something new to give Esser a try. He may well be a Lily Allen sound-a-like at times but I wouldn’t say that was necessarily a bad thing