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Ida Maria is known around the UK from her single I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked. According to the CD case sitting in front of me the NME think that she sits somewhere between The Strokes & Ami Winehouse, but has the NME got wrong again? What can Ida Maria's début album offer?

In general it is high paced fun perfect for singing along... but is there something wrong in the fact I could do this from the first listen? At lot of the songs are musically predictable (although guessing what lyric is coming proves quite a fun game!) You can hear many different sounds throughout the album and I am informed by my musical guru checking out Martha Reeve and the Vandellas song Jimmy Mack will remind you of Stella, or should that be the other way round?

The album offers a great mix of tracks, and Ida's voice shines through in her own unique style. She has the strength of Ms Winehouse and there are definitely rock influences to her tunes, but Ida shouldn't be compared to anyone else; her sound is unique.

It's a shame that I can hear bits of other songs in 6 or 7 of the 9 tracks on this album, but it doesn't take away from the fact that if you like Ida's sound Fortress Round My Heart captures it perfectly.

Rating - 7/10

Reviewed by Fi