Ms Scary must confess that she was beside herself with delirious joy when a promotional copy of the debut LP from one of this year's most heralded new female singer-songwriters landed in her French-manicured hands!

A raven-haired freckled beauty of Japanese-Italian-German parentage (how exotic!), Ms Rachael Yamagata has a rough rasp of a voice - peppered with growls and yowls, and possesses stunning songwriting talent and a penchant for crafting eclectic prose that will have Jewel turn green with envy [sample: "Worn me down like a road/I did everything you told" ("Worn Me Down") and "You simplified me down to slogans on the wall" ("I Want You")].

Released as a follow-up to Ms Yamagata's self-titled EP in 2002, Happenstance comprises mesmerising tracks that are mainly piano-accompanied or acoustic guitar driven (with some drums thrown in for good measure) such as the brilliant "Worn Me Down," the opening track "Be Be Your Love," the thumping "Letter Read" with its catchy chorus as well as ballads such as the morose "I'll Find A Way" and the Sarah McLachlan-sque "Reason Why."

With its beautiful nocturnal melodies dwelling on painful breakups, unrequited love and aching relationships, the latest release from the former aspiring thespian (the poor lass was kicked out of an acting course at Northwestern University in Chicago in 1999 for not being good enough!) proves to be most rewarding on repeat listens and is simply perfect for the Sapphic Spinster Society!

All in all, Ms Scary would take the stance that Happenstance is likely be labeled breakthrough record of the year and Ms Yamagata's songwriting skills will ensure that her soon-to-be-phenomenal success in the pop world would be anything but a matter of Happenstance (pardon the bad puns).

Scary's Selected Tracks: "Be Be Your Love," "Letter Read," "Worn Me Down," "I'll Find A Way," "Meet Me By The Water" and "Reason Why."