BRITISH singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot is making a bid for the big time with her fourth album.

Bernard Butler is at the helm in the studio, bringing his sweeping strings and orchestration to Pallot’s gentle collection of songs, and perhaps hoping he can make this Jersey-raised lass a household name like he did for Duffy.

Pallot has already written songs for Kylie Minogue, but she is no pop-princess-in-waiting. A more fitting comparison would be with Norah Jones because Pallot’s songs display an effortless easy listening, perfect for long, hazy, lazy, summer days.

Highlights are the opener, the super-catchy, Put Your Hands Up, and the heart-aching All Bets Are Off, while This Will Be Our Year has the sweetest vocal of all.

This is radio-friendly music, so perhaps the Year Of The Wolf will be a fruitful one after all.