Robyn Hayle - Arms Full Of Roses (2008)

The first thing that hits you is the voice. Devoid of affectation or theatrics, it’s a delightful instrument, one wielded with real subtlety. Technically a dramatic mezzo, it moves with graceful ease from the slightly husky sensuality of “Could This Be Love” and “Crazy Melody” to the bluesy boisterousness of “Tomatoes,” the sweet romanticism of “Look of Love” and “Arms Full of Roses,” and the gently aching melancholy of ”Fools” and “Falling Out of Love.” Its purity of tone matched by impeccable phrasing, this is a voice to be reckoned with.

Then there are the songs. OK, we have “Misty” from the American Songbook and charming covers of pop classics “Look of Love” and “Can’t Take My Eyes off You,” but I don’t recognize the others. Guess they must be lesser-known compositions from the likes of Gershwin, Kern, Cole Porter, and Rogers and Hart. Lovely tunes. Why haven’t we heard more of these ones? Let’s check the credits. All written by Robyn Hayle, the owner of that aforementioned voice. Now that’s simply extraordinary.

Debut albums as fully formed and compelling as Arms Full of Roses are as rare as plain truth from a politician’s mouth. Its arrival will alert the music-loving public to the multi-faceted talents and charms of this Montreal-born, Toronto-based jazz chanteuse. Hayle has had a fascinatingly chameleonic career as a singer, songwriter and actress, and she has been able to draw from a deep well of experience in crafting this work.