Lizzie West

The self-titled EP by singer/songwriter Lizzie West is a brilliant introduction to her major-label full-length Holy Road: Freedom Songs, for this four-song set captures West's wistful storybook lyrics, deeply rooted in life's travels and emotional filters. West's crackling vocals are warm and honeyed with an icy gloss (think Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffith), making songs such as the lilting afterlife of "Sometime" and the soft-hued synth beats of "Family Christmas" a great link to West's wild imagination. "Chariots Rise" tinkers with an alt-country feel, which is closely reflective of West's overall musical impression. As a writer, West isn't shy in using her love of poetry and her toast to one of music's finer poets, Leonard Cohen, is a chilling account of what makes her mind tick. Her rendition of "I'm Your Man" is darkly mysterious, certainly a divine tribute to Cohen and a refreshing look at what's yet to come from this New York City girl.