Charlene Kaye - Things I Will Need In The Past (2008)

Songwriting since she was a teen, Charlene Kaye released her 2008 debut, Things I Will Need in the Past, at age 22. With a background in classical music and formal study on multiple instruments, Kaye wrote and arranged all of the material on the album. The opening strings with acoustic guitar establish the chamber pop sound that populates this mostly acoustic release -– it has moments featuring electric guitar and keys, but is dominated by acoustic guitar, piano, strings, and percussion. Though Things I Will Need sits squarely in the singer/songwriter realm, its arrangements and rhythmic complexity outperform the stereotypical coffee house presentation. For example, Kaye plays with form and mixed-meter phrasing in the album opener "Andromeda." She also employs complex time signatures in songs like "All the Life Around" and "Amber Light," the latter a tender ballad about the nature of time, memories, and expectations. "Skin and Bones" is a melodically dynamic duet with Darren Criss (predating his breakout role on TV's Glee), with her typically reflective lyrics, in this case about lost love ("Though in time I’m sure I’ll grow to know/Another’s eyes, another’s laugh and skin and bones"). The album may appeal to fans of Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, but Kaye's seamless voice is both delicate and solid in a way that is more reminiscent of a restrained Melanie than any of Kaye's contemporaries. Unlike the folk diva, Kaye never quite lets loose vocally, though doing so could benefit the emotional payoff of the more intense songs here. Even though they're a little controlled, however, the vocals are elegant, and sophisticated songwriting and arrangements may challenge but won't alienate mainstream audiences.