Sing Out, Heart!

Karo's debut album is a strong and assured proposition. It is not that easy to improvise yourself as an indie singer/songwriter. It takes heart, intelligence, and a knack for digging for your soul and bringing it out to wear on your sleeve and in your voice. Karo succeeds in doing that, at a level sufficient to cover her shortcomings, specifically a lackluster tone of voice and a lumberjack-like guitar technique. Her guitar parts are extremely simple and totally devoid of finesse, but what little proficiency she has on the instrument is enough to carry her songs. And her limited vocal range doesn't rob her of her authenticity. A comparison to early Cat Power is in order, but the languor in her voice actually brings to mind Norwegian torch singer Susanna Wallumrød (of Susanna & the Magical Orchestra). Sing Out, Heart consists mostly of quiet vocals-and-guitar songs, complemented with a couple of rock songs with a rhythm section. Both work well, and the track list alternates intelligently between the two — the urgency of the drums in "All Is Light" provides a striking contrast to the quiet resignation of "Wine & Water." Highlights include "Not in Love Song," "You Don't Know," and the closing title track. There is nothing revolutionary about Sing Out, Heart, but it is an honest record through which permeates the soul of a songstress. It's a good starting point. ~ François Couture, Rovi