Don’t assume the light’s fading in this star. Her return offers more than meets the eye, if you’re willing to look past the odd mistake.

Since her gold-selling debut album Hands way back in 2009, Blackpool’s Victoria Hesketh has faded into anonymity.

But the initial signs are there that this dance-pop diva’s stock has held its value – releasing Nocturnes on her own record label, she’s bagged DFA records’ co-founder Tim Goldsworthy to produce it,

There’s bright, dancefloor-pop confections such as Confusion, where Hesketh bemoans a deceitful lover, and harder, clubbier tunes like Shake which exhibit darker shades.

The love song All For You married to stripped-back effects and echoed vocals, is brave and evocative.

Beat Beat is an inadvisably glib Kylie cast-off, sounding all the worse for being shoe-horned among interesting melodies.

But there are nice lines on Strangers, the story of two lovers’ awkward reunion set to sunkissed synths and almost liquid percussion.

Not fantastic, but an obvious talent is at hand – one now steering her own course.

3 stars