Singer-songwriter Sonya Kitchell’s sophomore album, This Storm, is a mature follow-up to 2006’s Words Came Back to Me. On her official website, Kitchell describes her personal writing style as “song-serving” rather than “genre-adhering.” Her observation rings true; This Storm is an eclectic mix of mesmerizing jazz-influenced pop and simple acoustic-driven folk melodies, though she seems most at home while performing the latter.
What saves This Storm from falling prey to such experimentation is the cohesiveness evoked by Kitchell’s consistently smoky vocals that transcend her nineteen years. Kitchell’s voice is clearly her greatest asset; as the album unfolds, so does she – from frontwoman to a charismatic storyteller, carefully using the many shades of her husky yet delicate vocals to create a nuanced CD.
Kitchell’s vocals are so strong that she unknowingly outperforms herself; her vocal performance is one small notch ahead of her songwriting, her smoky voice slightly more memorable than the musical arrangements and individual melodies. Regardless, she is still an artist to watch.
Highlights:
- “Here to There,” a twangy pop song that would make Feist proud. I found myself humming it at work after one listen.
- “Effortless,” one of Sonya’s most mature lyrical ventures. “I don’t cry for you/I cry for the life of another, someone I hardly knew.”
- “This Storm;” the title track has a warmth to it, a fitting end to an album that both satisfies and signifies the coming of a greater talent.
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