Chloe Charles - With Blindfolds On (2016)

Toronto's Chloe Charles has a distinct, curious rasp to her voice. The guitarist/singer-songwriter's musical approach is poised and urgent, with hypnotic notes of hope and melancholy. Traversing genre lines of jazz, soul, pop and folk, Charles' With Blindfolds On has a symphonic feel see the effective opening confessional "Black & White" that reflects a level of songwriting savvy that carries over the 14 tracks here.

Charles defines her sound as "orchestra soul pop," which is apt: there's a distinct Patrick Watson feel on "Tulip" before it goes all mid-era Motown on "Smiling." The quiet "Hold Me" has a folksy Tracy Chapman feel, the classical keys-driven "Be Still" is both ambitious and haunting and the reflective "We Grow Up" features love-it-or-leave-it vocal phrasings set to a pop soundtrack. The winsome "Take Me Naked" features well-written lyrics, even if a hook is perhaps an octave too high.

TRACKLIST

01. Black & White
02. Take Me Naked
03. Hold Me
04. Fans
05. Be Still
06. Through Your Eyes
07. Wool Sweater
08. Gold
09. Smiling
10. Little Regret
11. Run Your Course
12. Clover
13. We Grow Up
14. Tulip
15. Black; White (Acoustic)
16. Smiling (Acoustic)