Sonya Kitchell: train

What a pleasant surprise to find such moving talent and beauty in a vocal performance! I took the time to re-visit my latest-greatest, favorite site, Odeo. There I stumbled across a full-bodied recording from Starbucks' next Music Debut artist, Sonya Kitchell, listed under "New Audio."

You don't need to see these words in order to feel them. Sonya cleverly, ever-sensually, takes the listener's hand and leads her through vivid landscapes on a train ride -- a metaphor for so much more than that. Cascading piano notes and train-rumble acoustic guitar and bass leave no question of depicted surroundings. The words are hers; the music is hers. If you like what you hear, I encourage you to visit her site. There you will find a few more tracks from her new album to sample before it reaches stores in April. Sit back, relax, and take this train ride with my new hero, Sonya Kitchell.



I've just taken a seat on the train
I walked through busy streets down a shadowy lane
I just bought my ticket for the ride
there's no turning back now
no matter what I decide
steel body moves fast, hinges pounding against the ground
I sink into my seat
I pray for it to speed up, but I wish it would slow down
my body quivers with anticipation for what lies ahead
wood is thrown onto the fire that cries out to be fed
mist shrouds the dawn, so ahead I cannot see
the train it moves ever forward into the misty sea
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
there's so many faces
most of the time I feel so alone
there's so many places
will I ever stop and know my own home?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I know I'm gonna get there, but I'm not sure when
nor do I know where I'm going, so I won't pretend
I cannot see beyond the horizon nor around the bend
the train it moves ever forward without a seeming end...
out of one window, I saw rain
I looked through the other, and I felt the warm sun's rays
the wind, it gently blew across my weary shoulder
and time whispered in my ear, 'Child, you're just gonna keep getting older'
but I've done nothing more than take a seat on this here train
yet my life turned upside down and only -- only the little things are right

One more thing... Did I mention that she is sixteen years old? Now listen to it again.

technorati tags: Sonya Kitchell, music debut, new talent, Odeo, podcast