This Storm

Touted since the age of 15 as an artist destined for great things, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Sonya Kitchell has delivered the goods on her new album This Storm. 12 timeless tunes that document her evolution from emerging artist into a sophisticated musician and songwriter with something meaningful to say about the human condition. Her lyrics are sometimes personal and often political, but all are insightful and deeply felt. This Storm was recorded and produced by Grammyr Award winner Malcolm Burn (Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris) after Kitchell's first tour as the vocalist for jazz legend Herbie Hancock. We all sat down with these songs and let them grow and unfold and become creatures on their own, Kitchell says of her time in the studio. With Kitchell on electric and acoustic guitar and Burn on bass, the two were joined by multi-instrumentalist Brad Barr and his brother, drummer Andrew Barr (both of the band the Slip), at Burn's home studio in upstate New York. In this comfortable setting, Burn drew remarkably deep vocal performances out of Kitchell, setting off the classic feel of her songwriting with his thoroughly modern production, which layered dry vocals over a wide-spectrum bed of multi-tracked guitars and mysterious sounds. It's an album where every part and sonic nuance exists for a reason.