What a voice.
Sometimes you have to take a step back, breathe out some air, and all yourself to be swept by the power of a spellbinding vocal. Singer/songwriter Renee Asteria (http://www.asteriarecords.com) has the most exotic voice I've heard since Basia.
Guessing her ethnic origin is nearly impossible as she doesn't have a recognizable accent, at least to these ears. There is an accent there, it is thick and lush, but where it's from is unknown. And the mystery of it creates a higher level of sensuality and excitement.
Asteria's vocals soar and swirl around the instrumentation, which has its basis in acoustic folk but is spiced with Latin rhythms and even reggae beats. From the first cut, "Curly Black Hair," Asteria has us in the palm of her hand, caught in the allure of her dreamy voice. A lyric sheet is provided for those who cannot understand what she's saying or are perhaps too hypnotized to comprehend the words. Personally I was too dazzled to care.
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"Train Song" and "Sweet Ben" are both playful and upbeat tunes where her rhythm section attempt to glide with the butterfly flight of her vocals. On the dizzyingly romantic "Mad About You," Asteria takes a jazzy tone with her singing, and it must be heard to be believed.
What a voice.
This is a record that melts in your heart; when Asteria turns up the heat, we are all blissfully scorched.
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