For those of you yearning for a Nora Jones-sized hole to
fill, Lael Summer has all you could want and more. Born and raised in New York City, the singer
confessed that at such a young age the feeling of being surrounded by millions
of people yet feeling lost and alone was evident, an element of inspiration
that oozes from her music.
Debut album Burden to Bear is a soulful, often melancholic
collection of songs that was released in January and after being signed by
True Groove Records, Summer talked about how she went about writing the album.
"Burden to Bear is especially precious to me because it
is my first album; it's my
baby. During the writing process I had the freedom to explore all these
facets of my identity I never really acknowledged or could make sense of.
I picked through my thoughts, my dreams, my nightmares, conversations,
observations and memories and used the fragments of my life to piece
together something I could share with others."
Beginning the album with feisty soul number I Need a Man the collection leads into groove-influenced Too Much. You're So Small is full of strengthening lyrics, but it's soft jazzy undertones are odd and the message of the song does not gel. Make You Whole switches the tempo comfortably easing the listener into a smooth ballad before resuming it's now rather droll In Time and Kiss and Tell.
An album that seemed to have a promising start then adopts a far from eclectic mix of genres but is rescued by Do What You Want, Be What You Are, a melodic and soulful number that captures the freedom of a young woman.
Although stilted in places for me, the album possessed an immense amount of feeling which I am sure many of her listeners are inspired by and her precocious, otherworldly tone will take her far in the industry.
