In 2022, Lena Hessels released three digital EPs - if not now, then when will it and be all i ever wanted, full of irresistible pop music with an addictive sound, delivered in a strikingly personal style. This vinyl release combines all three and adds one bonus track, "pop!!".

Hessels moves effortlessly between luscious electro-pop infused with a hypnotic darkness (the near-claustrophobic opener "questions") and expressive gems with a vibrant playfulness (the lustful wink of "LENA"). This is the sound of an exploring artist revelling in the possibilities of the studio, confident of her voice, songcraft and the magnetism of her new-found identity. An identity as iridescent as her songs.

Pulsating basslines, hints of intimate melancholy and carefully constructed arrangements are merged into something sensual and inviting, filled with memorable hooks and adorned with sweeping touches of strings, guitar and piano. At the core of the songs, there’s always that remarkable vocal versatility: singing about love, desire and finding your place in the world, she repeatedly manages to sound disarming and seductive in one and the same song.

Like all the best pop music out there, Lena Hessels’ personal take on it is not only a celebration of the here and now, but it also manages to turn each listener into a co-conspirator in a shared ritual. On top of the musical inventiveness, it is Hessels’ distinctive and mature confidence that convinces most of all. Play this collection and you’re witnessing the emergence of a new, irresistible pop artist. — Guy Peters.