Chloe Charles - Little Green Bud

Chloe Charles - Little Green Bud
2010, Chloe Charles

Put all of your preconceptions on hold. Chloe Charles bends them and breaks them. Her blend of folk, soul and classical music isn’t quite like anyone else you’ve heard. You’ll hear elements of Cat Power, Esthero and Portishead, but listen for the roots of Joan Armatrading, Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman and even Nick Drake deep beneath the surface. Charles’ next release, Little Green Bud is due out on September 21, 2010, and is a real charmer.

Little Green Bud opens with "The Heavens", a haunting baroque-pop tune marked by dark strings and atypical rhythms. Charles creates atmosphere with the noble beauty of her voice and vocal effects that add more depth to the sound. It's Charles' voice that stands out the most here, sounding like a wayward cross between Sade and Kate Bush. "Soon On A Snowflake" is a beautiful song of devotion, where Charles' poetry is nearly as striking as her voice. "Progression" is dark and full of angst and anger, calling out another who has caused her harm in mysterious language. "Water" is a lush musical experience that finds Chloe Charles layering vocals in counterpoint to a subversive string and electro arrangement that's a thing of beauty. Little Green Bud closes with "Salamander Red", a highly textured piece of baroque pop and recollection of love that gets lost in a lack of diction. Charles plays fast and loose with hard consonants throughout the EP, but here is very difficult to understand at times.

Little Green Bud shows a lot of promise from Chloe Charles. Her voice is striking; beautiful and atypical, rich and lush while possessive of the sort of vocal anomalies that create interest rather than discord. The compositions on Little Green Bud are highly original, blending pop sensibility with strings and an almost antique musical setting. Chloe Charles has the pipes to go far, and the performances on Little Green Bud indicate an artist who is very comfortable in her own shoes. Be certain that we'll be hearing more from Chloe Charles.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Chloe Charles at http://www.chloecharles.com/ or www.myspace.com/chloecharles. You can order copies of Little Green Bud directly from Charles on her website.