Does the Irish music scene really need another introspective female singer-songwriter? Maybe not, but it's got one all the same - and while Ann Scott's debut album is hardly the most immediate you'll hear all year, its subtle qualities mark the young Dubliner out as an intriguing new talent. Entirely self-financed and produced by ex-Frame Karl Odlum, Poor Horse is an oddly captivating collection of shadowy, indistinct guitar songs that frequently recall the winsome folk-pop of Beth Orton. Initially it sounds fairly unremarkable, with obscure lyrics and relatively few hooks to grab the attention. Repeated listenings, however, reveal its pastoral charms - Scott's low-key, mournful voice conveys a sense of cracked fragility and her songs' 'less-is-more' philosophy proves to be highly effective. The complex melodies, meanwhile, are of the kind that, once absorbed, meander around your head for hours afterwards. A fascinating start to what will, with any justice, be a long and distinguished career.

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