Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter

The title of the new Jesse Sykes disc might run on too long, but the artist's music thankfully doesn't. Sounding like a bizarre cross between Chan Marshall and Tina Turner, Sykes' raspy vocals are definitely her calling card, and she manages to empty those ravaged pipes into a swirling mass of raw, guttural emotion. The arrangements are pretty ordinary aside from some mournful guitar licks and tasteful brass, which is perfect because it helps accentuate the resignation in Sykes' voice. If tracks like the mournful "Hard Not To Believe" are any indication, Sykes is one bummed out chick. For the sake of her career and the interests of the record buying public, here's hoping she stays in the doldrums.