SOULFUL and sweet, Maria Mena has a voice which has the power to both seduce and bewitch.

The Norwegian singer-songwriter's fifth album Cause and Effect is a beautifully crafted smorgasbord of catchy melodies and stirring ballads.

Opening with the aptly titled Power Trip Ballad – all marching drums, tinkling piano and angry vocals – the record is a story of love, break-up and self-empowerment.

Taking the listener on a journey through the heart, it begins with the upbeat Belly Up and All This Time, before the mood saddens with the moving I'm On Your Side and dreamily melancholy Where Were You.

Maria's voice is a mix of Alanis Morrisette and Norah Jones, with that slightly quirky pitch and tone which is de rigeur with today's singer sonwriters.

But her eerily beautiful songs are not only a testament to her extraordinary talent as a writer but also as a singer.

Already winning a Grammy for Best Female Artist and an EMA nomination for Best Scandinavian Artist, all at the tender age of 23, Maria is clearly an artist with a promising career ahead and I have the feeling the best is yet to come.

Maria Mena: Cause and Effect. Released August 16.