A few moths ago young Ms Naomi McClean-Daley was an obscure figure, spending most of her time as a backing singer with such luminaries of the UK garage scene as So Solid Crew. One quick makeover later, however, and she's reborn as Ms Dynamite, a headstrong RandB princess who's being touted as London's answer to Lauryn Hill. On the evidence of her debut album, you'd have to say that the re-invention was a smart move - this is no manufactured talent, but a powerful new voice as lyrically outspoken as she is musically sophisticated. A Little Deeper may bear the hallmarks of Jamaican ragga and New York production, but the rich voice that soars over the acoustic guitars and hip-hop beats is British to the core. And while her diatribes against her former musical colleagues may border on the self-righteous at times, she still makes some telling points about the self-destructive nature of that whole macho-driven culture. For once, you really can believe the hype - this is simply an outstanding album.

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