Previously known as Scarlette Fever, 24 year old Karen Barrow is back with a shortened name and renewed determination it would seem. Streamlining her moniker is perhaps a way to show she’s keeping things simple in 2016. Ahead of a new album later in the year called Attack Of the 6ft Woman, Helena arrives with a jangle of guitars and flutter of keyboards.
Scarlette has spent time recording in Los Angeles and also in London with producer Paul Simm, and there is certainly a Hollywood sheen to Helena, which has touches of Melissa Etheridge. There’s a catchy – if slightly irritating chorus – but the song slowly bleeds its way through and is hard to shake off.
Scarlette spends a lot of time teaching music to children with special educational needs but is taking a break from the day job in March as she plays a series of gigs in towns where she will also visit SEN centres. That work is truly admirable and raising its profile will certainly be helped if she continues her night job in such good form.