Amanda Thorpe - Mass

Amanda Thorpe's first band, the Wirebirds, a folky Fairport Convention style ensemble, were a staple of the village scene in NYC in the mid 90s With her Cropduster Records release Mass, Thorpe continues her solo career with a sound that evokes the gentle aura of Sandy Denny with an occasional Heirja like turn. Within the framework of a jazz evergreen, This Dear City, the opening track, exposes danger lurking in the dusky shadows with its Harlem Nocturne like vibe. Hailed by industry stalwarts like ASCAP Songwriters Showcase and Variety.com as well as People, this English transplant's vocal style would be perfectly cast in a smoky film noir nightclub, The sultry melody meshing with her effortless voice on Eyes of an Angel is right out of a Casablanca -esque scenario.

Players include Tony Scherr (Lounge Lizards) and Alan Bezozzi (Freedy Johnston), each song resonates with different textures, as a litany of jazzy horns and jangly guitars snake their way around Thorpe's vocals. The driving force behind this record is Thorpe's amazing voice, vulnerable, evocative and foreboding at the same time as she grapples with complex emotions. The bass heavy arrangement and torpid horns on Them There Eyes provide such a twist the standard is barely recognizable; it takes on a life of its own. Frances, a particularly haunting track about a friend who committed suicide nothing more than voice and chords. On a happier note, there's the country singsong of Splinters, whose hopeful message grinds to a halt, and the playful Toy Guitar. By You breaks the jazzy byline with pure by the strobe light trip hop.

Mass is smooth and alluring: a mite too skillful to be classified as mere pop music, but accessible enough to draw in unsuspecting converts.

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