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 /
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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