All the Boyfriends

f Vladimir Nabokov were still around today, Alice Jemima might be a pop artist he'd appreciate. She takes on a Lolita-esque character for her flirty 2012 EP All the Boyfriends. On the boy-crazy title track that opens the set, the English songstress coos coquettishly over a sultry bass line and warm electric guitar strumming. Set to minimal fingersnap percussion, the spare song leaves plenty of room for Jemima’s breathy inflections to sprawl out like a picnic blanket on a wide open field. She was only 18 at the time of these recordings, yet “By Your Side” plays with a more sophisticated pop sensibility, with emotionally mature lyrics wise beyond her years. This song's also played with limited accompaniment, adding to the palpably romantic tension built on her lyrics. The jazz-flavored guitar that introduces “I Didn’t Know What to Expect” matches the cosmopolitan style of Jemima's singing, which sounds perpetually playful but never juvenile.