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Sharleen Spiteri, though, as the distinctive 'voice of Texas,' doesn't quite need an instant hit of fame with a particularly fashionable sound. So why, you might ask, does her debut solo single (and I'll swear she did one of them a few years ago but maybe not, since the internet provides no evidence to this effect) fit into the whole 'Wine-ettes' thing?

I don't know, obviously, not being privy to either Sharleen's mind or the happenings in the recording studio when this was created but I can't help but have it strike me as an odd move.

Sharleen, of course, is considerably older and more experienced in the ways of the music world than the Winehouse-ettes and it would seem rather ridiculous to lump her as a copyist of an artist who emerged long after Sharleen herself established a successful music career, snogging Alan Rickman in videos and inspiring a million androgynous haircuts. Whilst I understand the desire to do something markedly different from Texas in order to define herself as a solo artist and see that Sharleen's expressive voice is actually very well suited to a personal take on the genre, I have to admit I find it slightly confusing that she's released this as a first solo single.

The video seems to express it all, with the break-up conversation at the start a not-particularly-subtle metaphor for breaking with her previous work and her change in appearance, suddenly very regimented, styled hair and a girly dress, rather than her usual choppy, almost boyish bob and indie jeans. I'm willing to think this is something to do with the dignity of age, as well as a desire to change herself into a solo artist since you can't carry on dressing like it's 1998 forever but it's quite a shocking change.

What's the oddest in all this, of course, is that 'All The Times I Cried' actually sounds very, very Texas somehow. Not just because of Sharleen's voice but something about the whole song sounds really very like 'In Demand.' Texas of course always did a have a little of the retro swing to them, like in 'Black Eyed Boy' and so it's not a totally unnatural leap for her to have made something more overtly in that direction but it's quite odd how simultaneously surprising and well, almost generically Texas it sounds.

Generically Texas, of course, is better than a lot of things; the band have always had a brilliant knack for crafting a catchy tune and Sharleen's voice is very emotionally evocative, so this ballad sweeps around you in a lovely manner, never quite reaching absolutely stellar status but nevertheless being far, far more than pleasant. The only complaint I can really make against it is that I don't think much of the lyrics, especially given Sharleen's created some really interesting ones in the past- listening to it to review it, I've got very sick of the phrase "how am supposed to dream when nothing's ever what it seems?" which seems to repeat endlessly in the song.

Despite that particular gripe, though and the fact the talk-y bits in the video detract massively from the song (the fact it crashes its own vocal at the start seems more than slightly insane) this is a lovely song, especially for a break up and it's wonderfully summery. It'll probably be a big hit and if not, it'd be overlooked undeservedly.

So, with that, I suppose the only question remaining is is that actually Jarvis Cocker in the video or just a man that looks an incredibly amount like him?

Download: Out now
CD Released: July 7th

www.myspace.com/sharleenspiteri

(Hazel Robinson)