Happenstance:Rachael Yamagata

Title: Happenstance

Label: RCAVictor

Genre: singer/songwriter

In an attempt to listen to something completely different than what I have been listening to lately, I picked up singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata’s first full length, Happenstance. The insanely gorgeous half Italian half 3rd generation Japanese 26-year-old plays pop ballads accented by her sultry and delicate voice and jazzy piano technique. While most of this album is very radio-friendly (mainstream), the songs still remain deeply textured and respectable a la Norah Jones. Though slightly overproduced, the subtle instrumentation definitely is a plus for the album. My guess is that she is amazing live, and that may be the best medium for her. Definitely channeling the likes of recent pop-jazz mastermind Norah Jones, Yamagata is also akin to the other songwriters of our generation including Ryan Adams, PJ Harvey and Damien Rice. The ex-Bumpus singer is worth a listen if you are into the listed artists, and Rachael… give me a call if you get a chance.

Main Page