Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Straight out of music-mecca Portland, Oregon comes an innovative album that is sure to send chills of pure enjoyment up your spine. Amelia’s newest album, entitled A Long, Lovely List of Repairs, is the most beautifully constructed melancholy assortment of music that you could possibly find for your ears this year. Amelia brings us a different rendition of indie-folk music by emanating a southwestern twist. Singer, Teisha Helgerson, gifts us with her silky, sultry, vocals that will swoon you off your feet amid her soft and sweet lyrics. She sounds extremely similar to Norah Jones at times, yet Teisha has the talented ability to fluctuate her style throughout the album giving us vibes of blues, jazz, and even country.

Teisha Helgerson’s vocals are joined by the amazing trio Scott Weddle, Jesse Emerson, and Mark Orton. This album features all the usual instruments, but you’ll also get a taste of some bass harmonica, glockenspiel, marxaphone, upright bass, autoharp, piano, pump organ, wurlitzer, celeste, timpani, violin, trumpet violin, and clarinet. Mid-tempo moody melodies and bluesy tunes will carry you away on the back of a strong horse through the desert on a meditative journey out of the cold and into the light. (At least that’s what I picture when I listen to this album…)

Mostly driven by acoustic guitars, Amelia shows us what simplicity can be at its finest. The warm, gentle, yet longing songs from Amelia are mellow and lovely, sad but strong, and altogether charming.