Customer Reviews

This Storm

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kitchell has a breathy, sultry, smoky, nimble voice, plays guitar, and writes her own songs reflecting a soul of indeterminate age (she's 19). Her vocals invite a range of comparisons. Joni Mitchell is an influence she's proud to own, though they have rather different voices. Her voice is a shade darker than Norah Jones', with more chestiness that gives it an interesting complexity. At different times she also makes me think of Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Jesca Hoop, even kd lang, and she likes to do a version of that "oh oh-oh oh" thing that Chrissie Hynde does on "Back on the Chain Gang."

She works here with producer Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith) and the Barr brothers from the Boston band The Slip. They bring together a variety of styles suggesting comparisons and labels from The Pretenders, The Band and The Rolling Stones to smooth jazz to alt-rock. There are jangly, peppy pop songs, a quiet ballad with Kitchell and her acoustic guitar, a flowing ballad with strings, a rocker with stinging electric guitar and rough vocals, all still smooth overall.

Taken together, it doesn't sound exactly like anything else. There's a note of refined discretion about it that feels a little confined to me (thus my little NPR snark). At the same time it's fresh and fun, mellow and moving. Four and a half stars, rounded up.

This album has a nice overall sound, and I find that I'm content to listen to it while I'm doing other things (cleaning, organizing, etc.). Most of these songs have a driving force behind them that for me is conducive to productivity.

That being said, I have never found myself thinking about these songs later, or humming them, or feeling compelled to open my computer just to listen to them. They feel more invented than inspired. Lyrically and musically they're very standard, so they're pleasing to the ear but not too intriguing or engaging if you're more of an active listener or someone who enjoys a more experimental style.

As others have noted, This Storm has the quintessential "coffee house" feel to it. While that isn't an innately bad thing, it isn't an original thing, either.

Compared to Cold Day, This Storm may lead a person to think that Kitchell went on an extended sabbatical with Tori Amos and Joss Stone. To suggest that this album has "influences" is akin to saying that Amy Winehouse gets inebriated "from time to time".

Again, this isn't a *bad* album. But Kitchell tries too hard to delve in to areas she simply is not good at. Every Drop starts out like an early Imani Coppola song, and winds up as a folk-goth-pop hybrid which, while interesting, isn't good. Borderline starts with a heavy pop sound, but goes absolutely nowhere. From there to Soldier's Lament, you have some Starbuck's background music -- stuff you don't really notice or care about, but which has the decency to be inoffensive and totally uninteresting.

At Soldier's Lament, you're met with a decent acoustic track that's basically been done a thousand times before. Fortunately, this is followed up by four solid tracks. Clearly, the person who arranged this album decided to save the best for last, because "Effortless" and "So Lonely" do a commendable job of making up for the rest of the album's shortcomings.

All said, if you're already a fan of Sonya Kitchell, you'll probably enjoy the album. Fans will see "how she's grown as an artist" and will likely overlook the weaker tracks. On the other hand, if you're just becoming aware of Ms. Kitchell, you owe it to yourself to start at the beginning and pick up Cold Day first.

This album doesn't disappoint, but for many, it will become one of those "Hey! I forgot I had this!" discs that you find in the back seat of your car -- not a "Who the heck ran off with my Sonya Kitchell disc?" album.

When I first listened to this CD, I will confess that I did not like it. I did not like the melodies to which she sings, and I did not care for the overall "feel" of the music. Her voice is interesting, though, and I gave this CD more time.

As I have listened more I have started to like it a bit. There's a good variety of styles on here, most of it with a nightclub type of feel or maybe even indie, but it is not an appreciable diversion from what you hear on the radio. Some of the tracks are a bit coarse, others very breathy and sensuous, others just "different". There's enough variation in the styles she sings that the CD will keep you tuned in.

If I had to compare her to others, I would say her voice is comparable to Alana Davis and her style[s] similar to Cindy Alexander.

I will state plainly that this is not my favorite CD and I will not keep this one in the car to listen to on my commute every morning. That said, I will definitely listen to this one again. This is a good CD with good music on it, but it's not what I would look for when selecting music for my collection - it comes down to personal preference. Unfortunately this does not fall under my range of preferences.

Sonya Kitchell's latest CD 'This Storm' is a solid, wonderful album. I suppose with CD's falling to the wayside of the MP3 revolution most albums cannot have any dull or lacking tracks and Ms. Kitchell does an excellent job excluding any such tracks from her album. 'This Storm' sets the mood and doesn't release you till sometime after listening to it.
The music is modern folk and hardly revolutionary but it's all wonderful and new for this music style. The Lyrics are very good but in truth they could about cleaning up after her dog makes a mess on the carpet and her voice would make you wish you were so poetic and creative for her voice is just stunning. It's the corner stone to this whole album.
Speaking of dogs, I played this album loudly in the living room and my dog seemed to like it. It put her into a playful mood (she wasn't howling along and she's 15 so playful moods aren't so frequent anymore) and the love bird seemed to enjoy it as he was singing along.
All in all this is a lovely album filled with very worthy songs and I am very happy to add it to my personal library.

Kitchell delivers a mature sounding cd that listeners will enjoy and connect with. All of the songs are moving and sung with passion. Although, there is variety among the songs, they all showcase Kitchell's excellent voice and poetic lyrics. While listening to the songs, I thought they were similar to Jewel and Sarah McLachlan. There is a good mix of jazzy, folksy, and pop sound. This is a cd to enjoy in the car, while reading or relaxing. I look forward to hearing more from Kitchell.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

Sonya Kitchell's song and the way she sings reminds me a little bit of Jewel. The big difference is that with Jewel, you can actually understand what she is saying in the songs. I think the CD starts out very well with For Every Drop. From the beginning of the song, I was captivated by it. Sonya has this kind of gentle voice that allows the listener to feel like she is right there. Here is an overview of the songs and what I thought of it.

1. For Every Drop- there are some pop influences in this song and it's pretty catchy. Sonya is mumbling through the song mostly. I can pick up a few words every now and then but most of it, I am pretty confused as to what she is trying to say. As pretty as her voice is, it sounds almost like she's using her throat a lot to sing.
2. Borderline- This might be my least favorite song. Again, it is a song that gets mumbled through. There are some good elements to the song, however. It has some great beats and feel to it. However, the word "Come on" gets repeated so much and I am someone who highly dislikes repetitive lyrics in songs.
3. Running- This one is a slow song. I understand her better in this song than the last two. There is a little bit of country flair in the chorus. She never really seem to change the tone of her voice in her songs. It continues to be soft and there is no huge dynamic and this song shows that off especially.
4. Here To There- It is the same pretty voice again that is combined with a bit of folk and country music. This song is pretty light and has a positive vibe to it.
5. Walk Away- A slow song that is very soft and her voice is even softer. This song reminds me of something Joni Mitchell might do. The way that is sung is even reminiscent of Joni Mitchell.
6. Fire- An upbeat, funky song. Sonya shows a bit of a different side to her. Her voice is stronger and carries the song well.
7. Soldier's Lament- This song is mumbled through again. I cannot understand what she is saying for most of the song. I'm kind of undecided with this song. It's nice but it's not one of my favorites. It is just an OK song.
8. Robin In The Snow- A slow-paced song with Sonya's breathy singing. There are some beautiful notes in this song. However, the song kind of dragged for me.
9. Who Knows After All- After listening to some of these songs, it starts to blend together since the way she sings is very similar in every song and it's hard to understand her. Don't get me wrong. Her songs are still beautiful but there just isn't very many different songs on the album.
10. Effortless- Another upbeat, pop-influenced song. As the song progresses, there are also some slight soft rock influences woven in.
11. So Lonely- Another slow paced song with the whispering singing. This is another song that is pretty but not exactly one that is my favorite. The chorus stayed at the same level as the rest of the song.
12. This Storm- This is the song that the CD is named after. Another pop-influenced song. It is soft and doesn't have a lot of rise and falls but still a nice song to listen to.

That was my reaction to the songs and what I thought about them. Overall, I did enjoy the album. I just really wish that there was more of a variety in her singing. She has a good voice but most of the time, I have no idea what she's singing.

If I were to give this album a grade, it would be a B+. Not quite A material. YET, but I sense a greatness coming from Sonya Kitchell.
I liked MOST of the songs on this album (8 out of 12) AND, for an ALBUM, that is pretty good! So why my not so perfect grading? Because the lyrics are what really help make these songs, and I found myself STRAINING to hear them. Sonya needs to ENUNCIATE. The lyrics I heard were profound, and totally lacking in most of todays music. It would have been nice to hear ALL of them. That aside, here is my review of the album:
Track #1 For Every Drop
Not a song I'd start an album with, as the lyrics were creative BUT nothing catchy or memorable. As a matter of fact, I couldn't tell you how this song went, nothing stuck in my brain about it. At all. Her voice sounded strained, as if certain notes were forced, and at times painful. "For every drop" left me wishing it were over, all over...
Track #2 Borderline, loved to say how the lyrics were on this one, but it was sung as if her mouth were full of marbles. Yup, left me waiting for track three, quite anxiously. This song was painful. This was my least favorite song on the album.
Track #3 Running. FINALLY, a song with some substance, AND intelligible lyrics. I wanted to sing along, I did like this song very much-- Emotion felt!
Track #4 Here to there. VERY nice intro, if I had any power, this would open the album! I really liked the lyrics (I don't want to give the lyric ideas away, just trust me on this one, very profound!) AND, what I noticed MOST about this song was the use of instruments. LOTS of GREAT instruments. Something sounded like a dulcimer maybe? How often do you get to hear that? Or, it could have just been some VERY talented acoustic guitar playing, I'm not sure. BUT, I wouldn't put my dulcimer idea away. I also heard harmonica, tamborine, saxaphone? I really MISS instruments like in this song in "top forty" pop junk today. This song is NOT junk!
YES, I REALLY REALLY liked this song.
Track #5 Walk Away. GOOOOODDDDD SONG! Finally, a song that really tests Sonya's vocal ability, and let me tell you SHE HITS IT. LOVE the lyrics as well. So far I think THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG!!!
Track #6 Fire. Another song that leaves me wishing for better enunciation. Till now, I've been totally drawn to her lyrics, I'm sure on this song they are just as creative, however the only lyric I could make out from the mumble was "fire" :(
Track #7 Soldiers lament. Another nice intro but kind of like the way I listen to Bob Dylan, and not as a compliment. If it weren't for the lyrics, I'd probably not even bother to listen to this song. This song also had painful stretches of her vocals, many with forced effort so much I could hear her breathing. Shouldn't that stuff be edited out? OR, perhaps this song was recorded in one take. They should have taken the time to do it a FEW more times. :( waiting anxiously for track 8.
Track 8 Robin in the snow. LOVE IT. A song that hits your soul so hard it knocks it from your body for an instant. Emotional, touching lyrics. I wanted to hear it again. And again. This is a REAL song.
Track #9 Not an average "leaving on a jet plane" kinda leaving song. Sonya has some more memorable soul touching lyrics. Another GOOD song.
Track #10 Effortless. A BREATH of fresh air missing from todays stale airwaves. Sounds like a BRIGHT song, with DARK lyrical undertones, and I LOVE that contrast. Another REALLY good song.
Track #11 So Lonely. LOVE these lyrics, felt so real, I could taste imaginable tears. Did wish again she would enunciate, but by this far into the album I've learned to strain to hear and try to decipher the lyrics. Beautiful, and beautifully sad lyrics. (the ones I could understand)
Track #12 I liked it, but not sure the song lives up to the the standard of a title song.
I'd call this album Robin in the Snow. But, that is just me...
Would I recommend or buy this for a friend? heck YES, BUT, deep down, I don't think this is her best work yet. I was left at the end thinking this artist is very talented, we have yet to see her greatest work.

Well, let me begin by saying that this isn't the genre I usually select. So when I popped it in, it was not quite what I was expecting.

In short order I began to appreciate several things about this album:

The very sweet, honest lyrics. You can really relate to this no matter what kind of music you usually listen to. It's very relaxing in that sense. There's plenty to think about, but you feel like you're listening to someone you really know. It's about life and relationships in general, and it avoids the cheap polish so many artists resort to because they feel they need it to get a hit. This artist doesn't need the theatrics. The whole album is honest, weighty and substantive. It's real. You feel like your time was well-spent.

Some surprising sounds for this genre. There is a very subtle but distinct resemblance to the Smyths in a couple of the songs. This is not to say you'd choose this first thing if you like the Smyths, because this is not 80s English rock/punk fusion. That's why it's surprising, and it's subtle enough that many people would like it.

There is a great variety of sounds from blues to rock, and amazingly without losing artistic unity. Not easily accomplished-very nice.

Kitchell's uniquely crisp, rich vocals are pleasing.

But like I said, I'm normally an electronica or alternative fan, even reaching to the heavier edges of new metal. But it was nice to hear something I could relate to, and I think a lot of people would feel the same.

I have never listened to Sonya Kitchell before and I can say that she is really talented with a nice voice. If you like this genre, then you will probably like her. The best song to me is the title song. "This Storm" is about a relationship (which most of the songs on this album are), and the feelings that accompany one. I guess my second favorite would be "Every Drop". It is a little more energetic with a nice groove. The lyrics on most of the songs are OK. Nothing new really. If you are feeling melancholy you will probably like to listen to these songs. I find most of them to slow for my faster pace. I would prefer a little more depth to the songs, they seem to be a little flat. One or two listenings is all I wanted. I wish she would sing songs in some more genres that could really showcase her wonderful vocals.