Female singer-songwriters have been given a bad name.

Too many coffee shop operations, being quirky or telling about the bad time they've been having a work recently. Yuck. Not to say that men are any different (stand up Damien Rice) but y'know.. the profile has kinda stuck.

But striking against this image are a new breed of artists. A cult phenomenon, Nina Nastasia blends acoustic songcraft with a rare intensity, using only minimal instrumentation to make her point.

Her dense, exacting voice punches home each point in her frequently allusive lyrics. Hiding behind an acoustic guitar, Nastasia seems able to reveal more about herself in one note than most songwriters do in an entire career.

Returning with her new album 'Outlaster' the singer has ended a three year silence. Once again Steve Albini takes charge adding dark tones to the tapestry, with Nina Nastasia being backed by small sweeps of orchestral instrumentation.

Out now, ClashMusic has grabbed the track 'You're A Holy Man'. A stirring account of love and loss smeared through that striking voice, you can download it now.

Listen to it now... Download it HERE.