Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree

Another X-Factor contestant's debut album sitting comfortably at the top of the charts. Just what we need, right?

True, this album has a noticeable amount of commercial hits and is full to the brim of brain-invading melodies, but don't let that fool you. Vickers hasn't completely sold out on us yet.

First off, you can't escape the fact that this offering has an astounding party of collaborators. Ellie Goulding and Starsmith provide their famous folky-electro with tracks like the odd-yet-catchy Remake Me + You and You'll Never Get To Heaven, heavyweight Guy Sigsworth steps in on moments like the regrettably forgettable Notice and the summer-induced joy of Jumping Into Rivers.

Rather than churn out either some Alexandra Burke-pop or (heaven forbid) Eoghan Quigg-soft rock, Diana goes with her uniqueness that made her so apparent on X-Factor and seems determined to appeal also to the indie-folk. Devonté Hynes (better known as Lightspeed Champion) contributes silly acoustic number Me & You, and there's even a cover of The Sugarcubes single Hit, which sounds perfect with Vicker's odd vocals amongst dark, squealing-siren synths.

And whilst we're on the subject, let's talk about THAT voice for a second. Yes, she's still doing her breathy bleating that made her so Marmite on television, but then again artists like Shakira, Marina & The Diamonds, Florence Welch and even now Jonna Lee seem to be getting away with it, so why should Vickers attract any more criticism? It takes some getting used to, but it makes sense within the context of the music. Even so, the best moments are when she occasionally breaks out for a second into a heart-breaking falsetto, especially in the amazing Put It Back Together (written by Nerina Pallot - remember her?).

There are plenty of Dido, ballad-y bits, but in between all of that there are some really, really good stompers. Once (as we all know) is fantastic, and we can thank Cathy Dennis for that (you'll remember her from Toxic, I Kissed A Girl and About You Now), but there's also stuff like My Hip that will have you singing along in no time.

Album closer Chasing You (reminiscent of The Saturdays more romantic moments) and next single The Boy Who Murdered Love are definitely some of the most amazing tracks. It's hard not to get bogged down with all the desperate plea for indie-fan attention, but if you listen hard enough, you'll hear a girl with a great voice and a brilliant start to her career, even with its faults