Nadya Albertsson was born in Sweden and now calls Berlin home. She honed her classical singing skills at Aberdeen University and recorded Half Silk Half Blade between Glasgow and Berlin. Taking account of these varied European sensibilities could produce a melting pot of influences, but really this album could have been made anywhere, any time in the last 30-odd years. Albertsson’s polished, soulful vocals and introspective lyrics have a timeless quality in the mould of countless Brit-schooled artists making reliably good music.

What sets this album apart are the subtle aspects that Albertsson folds into the mix without ever distracting from her show-stealing voice. Elements of jazz, informed by Albertsson’s background, are the most impressive. ‘Swaying’ is great in its own diaristic right, but the hip-shaking horns and sprawling keys help the arrangement to replicate the illuminating moment of realisation that the lyrics speak to. ‘Never Known (IDKWTS)’ is a good opening scene-setter that is strengthened by gently bleating saxophone, while ‘Devoir’ is a solid, sultry piece of quiet storm that is shaken from its reverie by piercing trumpet.

There’s also a clear desire to achieve a bit more mainstream crossover success, as seen by the pop-leaning sensibilities of ‘Pretender’ and ‘New Relations’, the former reaching a triumphant finale reminiscent of RAYE and the latter maintaining an exuberance that’s rare to find on a closing song.

Sometimes the line between R&B-inflected jazz-pop and adult contemporary dross is a little fine (the repetitive ‘Weak Knees’ or the dated finger snaps on ‘Please Please Please’ and ‘Devoir’), but at her best Albertsson is in rarefied company with the likes of Cleo Sol and Jorja Smith (‘The Fall’) through her command of crushed velvet vocals, impeccable production and just a hint of experimentation. Half Silk Half Blade shows that Albertsson could veer off into a half dozen different directions and probably still nail it. That unpredictability will be a joy to watch into the future.