Rachael Yamagata

Happenstance (Private Music/Arista)

By Amber Drea
Published: May 28th, 2004 | 2:10pm

Now solo, Rachael Yamagata has produced an album of pure pop balladry that shows no evidence of her four-and-a-half-year stint in the funky, fun-loving band Bumpus. Produced by John Alagía (Dave Matthews, John Mayer), the smoky-voiced singer-songwriter's debut full-length contains 13 pretty, introspective tunes, three of which were featured on her previously released EP.

The disc is what one would expect from a woman who has been compared to Norah Jones and Fiona Apple (minus the spunk). However, there are a few surprises, among the most pleasant of which is "Letter Read," with its bluesy piano riff and funky syncopation, though the clichéd chord progression in the chorus seems inconsistent with the song's darkly playful tone. The husky vocals and smooth jazz rhythms of "Even So" conjure up the spirit of Billie Holiday. On "I Want You," which features muted trumpet and an upbeat ragtime feel, Yamagata takes on the point of view of a French stalker and sings with a garbled growl. Bits of alt country appear on songs like the slide-guitar-laced "Paper Doll" and the drowsy "Meet Me by the Water." Yamagata even throws in some yodeling here and there. The rest of the songs consist of predictably catchy melodies and lullaby-esque string arrangements.

Yamagata deserves respect for following her heart by playing and performing her own songs. It's just too bad that her music does little to separate her from the slew of female singer/songwriters already out there.