Customer Reviews

Words Came Back to Me

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Avril arrived at 18 powered by the song writing juggernaut The Matrix. And Norah Jones broke thru at 21 with four songs by tunesmith Jesse Harris. And then here comes Sonya Kitchell at 17 writing all her own material. Just what does she think she is doing??

Easy: she is successfully channeling a short fast lifetime of influences as diverse as Bill Withers and Joni Mitchell; Ella Fitzgerald and Nick Drake. She is spinning beautiful narrative, emotional truth and fleshed out characters all in a smoky contralto. And then she is turning around and crushing you with effortless pop hooks. All while putting goose bumps on your arm.

Any questions?

Being an old college friend with her drummer, I was often invited to the first appearances Sonya had in NYC, first with Kaki Khan and then on her own. You can see the progression with her lyrics, vocals, style. It's a pleasant CD, something you can put on that has that, sure, Norah Jones type style, but in fact is not Norah. Hearing someone else's take on a style is always enjoyable. Sonya is also well worth a trip to see her live. Her casualness is a great thing and the band is full of young great musicians. Sure I may be a an old friend of the drummer but the singer still has to win my approval if I'm going to keep going to the shows. I still keep going.

While I and most of my friends were still learning how to parallel park at 16, Sonya Kitchell was writing and performing these stunningly beautiful songs, filled with sophistication, deep introspection and a profound understanding of the human heart: "...Life can be such a give or take/Some laugh while they're dying, some cry when they wake" (Words). Or, "Happiness has been good to me/but sorrow sets inspiration free" (Simple Melody). If this release is any indication, then Ms. Kitchell has experienced, either personally or through the lives of those close to her, decades worth of happiness and sorrow in her brief time on earth. I've listened to this record seven or eight times now, and I keep going back and forth between focusing on the music and the words; each serves the other so well. And yet, for all of the brilliance of this release, nearly everything I've read about Sonya Kitchell says that to see her and her wonderful band live is to truly appreciate her artistry. She's touring as I write this, so check her out, and if you haven't heard her yet, do yourself a huge favor and buy this cd; it's sure to be only the first of many great records from this old young woman.

Sonya Kitchell may be young in age but she is clearly an old soul. I saw her for the first time over a year ago in New Orleans opening for Martin Sexton and she immediately became one of my favorite artists. Her voice on this album has an intimate Norah Jones quality but having seen her live I know she has the pipes to belt it out in true blues/rock form, and I look forward to more of that in future albums. My favorite Sonya songs ("Words" at the moment) have a wonderful warmth and depth that sneak up on you when you find yourself singing them in the middle of the day. And its just so endearing that, unlike so many young artists, she hasn't become too self-serious (ahem, "secret" track). She has more clear star capability than anyone I've seen, check her out and you'll see what I mean.

This is one of the best cds I've listened to in a very long time!!! There isn't one song on the cd that I want to skip over. Each and every song on this cd is a "must listen to". It's so cool, that Sonya's able to capture so many different flavors all in one cd---jazz, blues, reggae, folk, pop, rock, soul---it's all there! This cd is like candy for the ears. I'm definitely going to add this cd to my top 10 list.

I love the smoky flavor of Sonya's voice. Her song writing is exceptional! Wow--from someone so young?!!! The songs and the quality of her voice touch me emotionally. I'll be sure to have this cd on repeat for a very long time. I LOVE THIS CD!

Having recently thoroughly enjoyed Sonya in concert in January I could hardly contain myself when "Words Came Back to Me" was released! Her words are so true, her voice so enveloping, her music so satisfying I still tingle every time I listen to "Let Me Go" and close my eyes and actually board the train with "Train". I have played the CD 10 times in the past 6 days and still hear something new every time - there are so many layers! An old soul with genuine talent and obvious passion. Well done, Sonya.

I have followed Sonya's career over the past few years and this CD is amazing. She has such a wide range of styles that whether you like blues, jazz or rock/pop tunes, there is somethign on this CD that you will like. I happened to catch her performance at a Joni Mitchell tribute at Carnegie Hall in New York earlier in the year and she is the real deal.

I'm usually very skeptical of teen singing sensations. I never signed on the Joss Stone band wagon. However, giving Sonya Kitchells' new cd an objective listen she shows remarkable promise as a singer songwriter.....just needs some more life experience. No doubt Ktchell will be bombarded with Norah Jones comparisions and that is not such a bad thing -- all the edges here are polished smooth as silk. Her vocal arrangements are casual and relaxed and like Jones her songs and their production are perfectly matched to her vocal ability. Great melody throughout the disc. This is a good cd and an artist to watch.

It was so nice to actually find a young singer who has the maturity in both lyric and music composition to be associated with real musicians (opposed to music "artists"). Her bluesy/folky sound is warm and insightful. She has inspired me so much in my own music and I know she will continue to do the same for many others.

Sonya Kitchell's,"Words Came Back" to me is as refreshing as a tall glass of sweet tea on a balmy summer day. From the opening track to the very end you are captivated as a listener. A favorite is, "Let Me Go." The feeling and emotional depth that this young singer/songwriter has managed to capture is far beyond her years. The song brings tears to my eyes. Sonya is an old soul in a very young, lovely shell. I have seen the marvelous Sonya perform on numerous occasions, am a huge fan and my very first freelance article was about her musical evolution. I encourage anyone to check this out. You won't be sorry. So proud of you Sonya!