Album Review: Birdy - Beautiful Lies

By her third album, Birdy should be allowed to move on from her stark and disarming first single, her cover of Bon Iver's Skinny Love.

But it was such a debut. She has matured from that more vulnerable sound for sure. Beautiful Lies is richly produced, thoughtfully moody, and somewhat generic adult contemporary. Lead single Keeping Your Head Up is buoyant with shades of Annie Lennox. There's a big chorus on Wild Horses with mention of "I will not beg you to stay." The title track returns to the more stripped back and gentle Birdy sound, with cello and piano. More of that please.