Were My Sweetheart to Go...

iTunes Review

Lex Land’s 2011 sophomore album begins with the sprightly voiced chanteuse playing genre-hopscotch. Were My Sweetheart to Go . . . opens strong on the Rick Alvin Schaier-penned “Oh My!” — a quirky Björk-inspired ditty where lush strings and playful handclap rhythms make for pop glory. Then comes the smoky jazz-flavored “Someone New On My Mind,” a timeless-sounding song where you can envision her cooing in a cocktail gown perched atop a grand piano. She then jumps right into “Havana,” an icy, electro-pop tune where Land exercises more restraint in her vocal performance. Though she weaves through varied styles with ease and grace, Land sounds most comfortable and confident crooning those more intimate musings as heard on her 2008 debut Orange Days On Lemon Street. The minimal piano and glockenspiel notes played on “If I” leave plenty of room for Land’s dynamic vocal to stretch out. The similarly spare “All This Talk of Dreaming is Fine and Sweet…” closes with the intimacy of a lullaby.