Okay, I admit it. The only reason I downloaded a Gemma Hayes song was because I saw one of her videos. And the only reason I watched one of her videos was because Frank posted a picture of her, and as it turns out, she’s stunningly beautiful. Well, go on, have a look for yourself. Can you blame me?

Having heard far more than my fair share of female singers and female-fronted bands (though probably not quite as many as Robbie at Womenfolk), I’d like to think that I’m not completely shallow when it comes to music. There are plenty of traditionally attractive women out there who put out shite music, and there are plenty of non-traditionally attractive women whose songwriting gems are overlooked by an ignorant audience. So it’s with a clear conscience that I can say I’m now a fan of Gemma Hayes because she’s got some great songs under her belt. In reality, she fills a lot of roles that have been neglected lately; she can not only wield a mean guitar and put up a wall of sound as well as anyone, but she can play the folkie singer-songwriter without penning painfully precious or melodramatic songs. She’s not blandly adult contemporary (hello, Sarah McLachlan) nor is she overproduced and over the top (hello, Michelle Branch). Gemma Hayes is many of the things I had hoped Beth Orton would continue to be, but no longer is: soulful, charming, a bit eclectic. If Hayes comes to the role by way of My Bloody Valentine instead of the Chemical Brothers, so be it.

The unfortunate schism between the original U.K. and subsequent U.S. releases of her debut, Night On My Side, has thrown completists an extra curveball; extra tracks were added to the U.S. release, others were tossed, and then the whole album was resequenced for good measure. At least the reboot was Hayes’ own idea; in any case, the more obvious standouts like “Hanging Around” stuck. It appears there will be no such retooling for the imminent The Roads Don’t Love You, due at the end of the month. This may be because there’s no definite word of an American release this time; as with far too many albums this year, The Roads Don’t Love You sits in this odd import limbo, somewhere between “definitely not available except from Britain” and “soon to be released by an American label.” It’ll be interesting to see how Hayes’ music holds up with a new set of studio musicians and a recording studio in L.A.; these are the unmistakable signs of someone trying to go big, and I’m not sure it’s a wise path for Hayes to take. Even if she does have the looks of a starlet.