Niblett's unorthodox musical arrangements have been noted by critics, particularly her sparse instrumentation and dramatic shifts in tempos. In her earlier work, specifically
I Am and
Kidnapped by Neptune, many of Niblett's songs consisted of vocals accompanied only by drums; "[I wanted to] make drumming and singing be as accessible as me playing guitar and singing," she said in a 2004 interview. She also stated that she was largely influenced by
Hole's first record,
Pretty on the Inside (1991): "I was seventeen when I first heard it. For me, the thing that I loved about them and her (
Courtney Love) was the anger, and aggressiveness, along with the tender side," said Niblett. "That was something I hadn't seen before in a woman playing music. That was hugely influential and really inspiring. Women up 'til then were kind of one-dimensional, twee, sweet, [and] ethereal." Her drumming technique, however, is inspired, she says, by a man who played at an open-mic night in Nottingham and would accompany himself on the drums while playing
Beatles covers. This drumming technique has been a particularly distinctive feature of Niblett's records with Steve Albini, whose method was to place the drums centrally in the mix. Also of note is her downbeat cover of
Althea & Donna's 1978 reggae hit "Uptown Top Ranking", which Niblett released as a single after it became popular at live performances. Niblett has also cited
Daniel Johnston as a lyrical influence, and her music has often been likened by critics to
PJ Harvey,
Cat Power, and
Courtney Love. During the recording of her sixth album, ''
It's Up to Emma'', Niblett stated that she listened to
Black Flag and the
Rollins Band for inspiration. ==Personal life==