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Kyshona Dispenses Aural Therapy for the Soul on ‘Listen’ | Album Review

February 26, 2020 Steven Ovadia

Kyshona
Listen
Fish Records

Kyshona Armstrong's Listen is refreshingly low-concept: a powerful, textured voice working its way through equally strong songs. But what's most striking about the album is how natural Armstrong sounds. The sincerity hits you hard.

Kyshona is a former music therapist, which makes sense given her performance style. There's a confidence, comfort, and catharsis in her vocals, effortless without sounding passive, warm without sounding too inviting. Listen feels therapeutic, not just providing enjoyable songs that range from soul to rhythm and blues to rock to pop, but maybe even providing a blueprint for how to be, as a human being.

I know that sounds hyperbolic and as good as this album is, it's not going to change the course of people's lives. But it is a charming mix of different styles that's reminiscent of Mavis Staples. It's a reluctant comparison because both artists are African American women and there's a tendency to compare musicians along demographic lines, rather than sound. But both performers share a similar ability to own any genre they tackle, making it their own while also somehow maintaining the essence of the original.

And to be fair, "Worried Mind" sounds like it could be a Staples track. It's got a loping beat and an undercurrent of piano and organ, swirling together like the world's most soulful Mr. Softee concoction. For Kyshona, it presents the chance to give one of the more impassioned, traditional performances of the album. She sounds like she's going for it vocally and the spontaneity works well for the track.

"Fear" showcases a performance that's more typical of the rest of the album. The music is earthy, but Kyshona's voice is refined, while somehow still maintaining a depth. This isn't blues belting a la Janis Joplin. There's more polish, but the blues emotion is still there. The singing somehow dovetails perfectly with the track's organ, which rises and falls like the 1970s stock market, grinding along like any number of blues rock tracks yet somehow sounding like something else. 

Kyshona takes things in a different direction on "More in Common," which is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's "River." While the two tracks share a similar melody and gentle sensibility, lyrically they're opposites. Where Mitchell's song is about escape, Kyshona's is about staying and building consensus: "Second chances don't come every day / Like sun in Seattle / Like February rain / Let's build up these bridges."

Kyshona wrote or co-wrote all of Listen's tracks, and co-produced the album with Andrija Tokic, perhaps best known for his work with Alabama Shakes. I strongly suspect Kyshona's active role in so much of the album is what allows her voice, singing and artistry to thrive. This is recognizable Americana, but rather than leaning heavily upon folk and country, it's pulling from soul and rhythm & blues, which is what gives it such a captivating flavor. And reminds us how therapeutic it can feel to be true to yourself.

Notable Tracks: "Fear" | “More in Common” | "My Own Grave" | “Worried Mind”

SEE Kyshona on tour | Dates

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