Sonya Kitchell
(Velour Music Group)
When you've got a voice as sultry and silky as Sonya Kitchell, it's hard to get away from the jazz-tinged-soul stereotype. But like on her debut Word's Came Back to Me, the 19-year-old with an old-soul manages to bring a lot of youthful flavor to her sophomore effort The Storm.
Opening track "For Every Drop" sets a sassy and sophisticated tone with pulsing rhythms and a shiny pop underpinning. "Borderline" gets into some downright country rock that turns into a shuffling cowboy sway on "Running." But despite her rockin' impulse on Storm, Kitchell can't escape the fact that her strength lies in breathy folk tunes. Album standout "Soldier's Lament" is a gorgeously pained ballad set against hypnotic folk guitar that seems to suggest that Kitchell's best work happens when she relaxes and lets the muses take over. And yeah, the jazz-tinged-soul thing might be a stereotype the young songwriter is trying to avoid, but it might be oddly refreshing to hear her next record go precisely in that direction.
Standout Tracks: "Soldier's Lament," "For Every Drop" ALLIE GOOLRICK
