In The X-Factor finals of 2008, Diana Vickers – the winsome barefoot lass from Lancashire with the strangely strangulated larynx – was the one contestant worth rooting for.


In the real world, being the best of a desperate dozen won't wash. Disappointingly, her debut album consists mostly of forgettable dance pop and folktronica, co-written with Ellie Goulding and Nerina Pallot among others. It is not outstanding, and that, from an 18-year-old, is forgivable. It doesn't stand out, and that, from Diana Vickers, is not.


Download: 'Put It Back Together'


Diana Vickers
Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree (RCA)
2/5