Stevie Parker - Cure

In the space of just one EP and two singles, the Bristol-based 24-year-old singer-songwriter Stevie Parker has established a reputation as a vital new talent. Sonically, 'The Cure' stands out because of Parker's raw talent: her smoky vocals (at times raspy, at times quite delicate) never fail to paint an evocative picture - of lost love, of longing, of the melancholic beauty of just living. Production-wise, pulsing synths (think: The xx) provide an atmospheric yet sleek backdrop. Under the guidance of her mentor, Rough Trade Records co-owner Jeannette Lee, Parker teamed up with the Grammy Award-winning Jimmy Hogarth to produce the album, with David Wrench (The xx's 'I See You', FKA twigs, Caribou, Floating Points) on mixing duties. Warpaint's Stella Mozgawa and Polar Bear's Seb Rochford also contributed drums.