Posted on: March 26, 2019 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

On her new track Balm/Burn, Kristen Lee Sergeant is able to refresh a storied jazz vocal tradition that traces its way back about 100 years. With a backing drum and bass line that elicits comparisons to early modern jazz performers, Balm/Burn is able to contain some deep and dense dynamics that need to be experienced multiple times to properly understand. Sergeant’s vocals pull double duty here, both telling listeners a story and adding further complexity to the song’s instrumentation. Of particular note here has to be the challenging time signature that demarcate Balm/Burn’s mid-way point. Followed up with some amazing piano arrangements, Balm/Burn’s second half keeps things floating freely until the song ends.

Kristen Lee Sergeant “Balm/Burn” / Domain /

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