Emeli Sandé's new album 'Our Version of Events' - First listen

Having already been named the critics' choice for this year by the Brit Awards, and her first single 'Heaven' being one of last year's best efforts, it's safe to say that Emeli Sandé's career is shaping up rather nicely indeed.

With her debut album Our Version of Events on the horizon, we at Digital Spy have given one of the year's most anticipated releases an early spin and posted our initial thoughts below.

The good

It's 13 tracks long, meaning it's a 'proper' album rather than one of those new-fangled seven-track EPs.

It's got 'Heaven' on it, which was easily one of the best singles of 2011 (number five, according to us).

It's 25% uptempo (three tracks to be precise).

It's likely to appeal to a sister, brother, son, daughter, girlfriend, boyfriend, mother, father, grandma, granddad, etc.

Her vocals remain consistently mind-blowing throughout.

She's done her very own 'Love The Way Your Lie Pt II', in the form of 'Read All About It Pt. III'. The title of the album is also included in the song.

Six of the remaining ten tracks ('My Kind of Love', 'Where I Sleep', 'Mountains', 'Maybe', 'River', 'Read All About It Pt. III') immediately sound like potential singles.

'Hope' isn't too dissimilar to Alicia Keys's 'A Woman's Worth'

The bad

It's 75% mid-tempo to ballad, making it a little heavy to listen to in one full sitting.

The lyrics are generally very X Factor-friendly (see: "I hope that we still have a dream, I'm hoping that change isn't hopeless," on 'Hope').

Leona Lewis is going to have to come up with a new game plan.

Emeli Sandé releases Our Version of Events on February 13.

> Exclusive: Emeli Sandé 'Our Version of Events' documentary - watch video
> Emeli Sandé unveils new single 'Next To Me' - listen

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