With six full-length albums out there in the world, it’s incredible to realise that Josefine Neumann is only sixteen years old.

By Graeme Smith

Even more incredibly, she writes and performs all her own music, recording it herself in her home studio without any digital effects. The result is a truly authentic and personal sound that is easy to connect with.

With each new release she expands her sound and improves her techniques, all while staying true to her acoustic folk roots. In that regard, her new album My Greatest Fears is her most ambitious yet, both compositionally and lyrically.

We hear stories of self-doubt, heartbreak and mythology backed by subtly rich instrumentals. Josefine’s voice is the focal point, beautifully soulful and folksy in quality. We get their full effect straight from the off with short, a cappella opener How before we get the first taste of her delicate guitar strumming in Soon Enough. The latter has a memorable chorus that makes it an early highlight.

Other highlights include the moody and admonishing Bigger Man, the jaunty and confessional title track My Greatest Fears, the atmospheric and poetic Andromeda, the lilting, piano-led Icarus, the stripped-back yet expansive Eden, the melancholic, lullaby-esque Bottom of the Barrel, and passionate and cinematic album closer Sea-Glass Eyes. By the time you come to the end of its seventeen tracks, you’ll know you’ve been on an emotional journey courtesy of Josefine’s understatedly powerful song writing.

What a talent Josefine Neumann is! Her lyrics speak of a wisdom well beyond her years and her songcraft is exceptional. She’s certainly one to watch on the folk singer songwriter scene and I’m very excited to see where she takes her career. Her new album is a must listen.

My Greatest Fears is out now and you can check it out below.