It’s interesting that Ms Ferreira would begin her debut album (released after years and years of delays and various levels of private and public troubles) with what is in my mind the weakest song on the album. At first almost a confirmation that she was nothing but a lethal mix of hype & hope and that this is the disaster most expected. Or maybe it was a display of confidence (despite that album cover of fearful vulnerability). As I listened to this I was quite certain it was the latter. After a few more spins it became obvious that’s exactly what it was – a challenge almost, a dare to give her the chance she deserves, or to weed out the impatient, to find her true fans. Because when it comes to artists like her who are shrouded in varying degrees of “controversy”, the tendency is to go in hating her. Hear one song, and the verdict is given. But to wait is to be rewarded. Part of my love for this album is – I can’t deny – her ability to silence the naysayers. But for a pop album, this is an incredibly strong collection of songs. And let’s not pretend this isn’t pretty vapid stuff at times, lyrically at least. “I wish these 24 hours / Would never end / Oh in these 24 hours / Wish to forget nothing / 24 hours / We still have time / For 24 hours / You’re still mine“. Come on, who’s kidding who here? But past that is a woman who has been through a string of personal and music business disappointments, and yet the result is the sound of a pop singer determined to prove them all wrong – with a voice full of passion and clarity from one song to the next. And with an eclectic taste in music influences both past and present, it’s a winner. From the Spiritualized by way of Suicide Christmas drone of ‘Omanko‘, to the pop grunge rock of Celebrity Skin-era Hole on ‘Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)’, to the glorious neon-lit stomp of a chillwave-injected Cyndi Lauper on ‘You’re Not the One’, Night Time, My Time is definitely disjointed and completely all over the map. But her inspirations are portrayed with pinpoint accuracy, at times even besting who she is emulating (showing Sleigh Bells how to do their own sound on ‘Heavy Metal Heart’ being a great example). The melodies are strong – only becoming stronger on each listen – and like a true artist she lets her art speak for itself once all the smokescreens have cleared. Hopefully the surprising and mostly positive reception she has received for this album will give her the boost she has desperately needed all these years since being signed by her label – who tried only to mold her into the pop starthey wanted. She may not know her own path yet, but once she does, at least evidenced by this album, she has the musical chops, and wow does she have the voice to become the pop artist SHE wants to be, and clearly can be.