There are times when you’re directing talented actors that you start trying to get them to dig deeper for a performance. They might be doing things technically perfect, but you can tell that there’s another level there – something just below the surface – that could turn something that’s good into something that’s amazing. That’s the kind of feeling that I had listening to Conform, the debut album of New York singer/songwriter Kirsten Dehaan.

Ms. Dehaan has a very appealing voice, always sweet and sometimes breathy. On some songs the guitar-driven music and lyric readings combine with her voice to give the listener an idea of what it might be like if Juliana Hatfield started singing with the Cowboy Junkies. She has smartly surrounded herself with a group of strong musicians for her debut, although a couple of the guitar solos probably should have been saved for the live shows instead of the studio. Essentially, this is the kind of music that you can imagine a group of 20-something girlfriends playing while they hang out at someone’s apartment.

The discs 10 songs play well off each other, maintaining a consistent level of proficiency throughout. The albums standout cut, “The Money Sinner,” with it’s layered sound and tunefulness opens the disc with a burst. The songs mantra of “It doesn’t really matter” bounces around your head long afterwards, but also addresses the frustration of dealing with the prepackaged nature of the music business in it’s current state. “Push” builds a pretty melody around a message of searching for hope among desperation. On other songs like “Apologies” and “Saved,” Ms. Dehaan puts her gift for dulcet tones to good use while exploring the familiar terrain of trying to figure out love and relationships.

There’s a certain sameness to a number of the songs, in the way that one would expect from an artist still finding her voice. That’s not necessarily a bad thing so long as the songs remain listenable, which thankfully they do here. The lyrics remain largely on the surface, keeping the listener a bit at arm’s length. However, there’s enough there to get a glimpse of what might emerge as Ms. Dehaan gains confidence and pushes her talents in new directions.

In other words, Conform is a very solid prelude, but the rest of the story might be even better.