Amelia Fletcher may have been soundtracking the romantic trials and tribulations of indie boys and girls the world over for more than 20 years now but she could still count the number of albums her four bands (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and now Tender Trap) have recorded, on her own two hands. As the mother of two young children and holder of a ridiculously well-paid job in the city, she does have a decent excuse though.

Thankfully, tales of changing nappies or the brutality of big business once again fail to rear their ugly heads on ‘6 Billion People’. The opening title track shows that we’re on safe Amelia territory, with its list of ways to meet “the perfect one”. However, it isn’t her style not to soak the sugar cube in vinegar, and the song shows its sour side later on. Similarly sinister tones on I Would Die For You are only partly offset by the jaunty Common People-esque keyboard patterns.

This album differs from its immediate predecessor ‘Film Molecules’ thanks to the use of a real drummer in the shape of Claudia Gonson, borrowed from The Magnetic Fields, and she comes to the fore on Applecore, a punky call-and-response ultimatum to a philandering lover. Gonson also provides the portentously bassy bedrock of (I Always Love You When I’m) Leaving You, which rumbles slowly to its inevitable unhappy ending.

The best moment on the record comes early on, in the form of previous single Talking Backwards. It’s a breezy but bittersweet ode to the awkwardness of speaking to the object of your affection, whose title is brought beautifully to life by the surprisingly catchy chorus refrain of “Life than more you love I”. Finishing on a note of self-harm, just to add that splash of vinegar once more, it will resonate long and hard with the shy and lovelorn.

To add my own splash of vinegar, there are a couple of tracks on here that don’t live up to Amelia’s high standards, and, yes I’m looking at you, Inuit Beauty Queen and Dreaming Of Dreaming. If I wanted to tip more of the bottle I could go on that Tender Trap make me sing along with a smile on my face where once Heavenly made me want to jump around the room and explode with joy. Either way, I don’t think there’s any danger of her giving up the day job.

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