:: Abbie Cardwell - Love Motel

Abbie Cardwell

Despite the somewhat passé title which, coupled with the young Cardwell smiling up from her bed on the cover, had me a little worried, “Love Motel” is in fact a well played, sincerely implied collection of six pre-dominantly acoustic, balladesque songs about, no prizes here, love and the lack thereof. Cardwell has a stringently apparent confidence, and though the songs themselves do sometimes venture a shade too far into lyrical cliché, they’re self-penned, overtly melodic little ditties. First track ‘Anchored’ is the standout, warm and vulnerable, tempered and dark. Closer ‘Too Into You’ is a very similar. The only real wild throw here is the title track, a rocky, almost clumsy, riff based fumble that just doesn’t seem to slot in alongside the other five tracks.