ノラ・ジョーンズのデビュー作を聴いて音楽魂に火が点いたという、27歳のシンガー・ソングライター。2014年にはR&B路線のEPを発表していたが、本当に歌いたいものを追及したことで、この初のフル・アルバムではジャズや故郷ナッシュヴィルのカントリーなどに辿りついたという。憧れのノラと同じブルー・ノートと契約し、ジェシー・ハリスや名匠ラリー・クラインが制作陣に名を連ねる鳴り物入りのデビューだが、その厚遇に見合った才媛ぶりは作品を聴けば納得だ。生前のプリンスがその温かみを〈雪さえも溶かす〉と称えた歌声は、癒しや気怠さといった形容のそぐわない輪郭のはっきりしたもの。ハスキーな声質は、マル・ウォルドロン作のスタンダードを取り上げた表題曲では色気を醸し、ウォーのカヴァーでは芯の強さを感じさせる。エモーションたっぷりの歌い込みはノラ直系というより、キャンディ・ステイトンのようにソウルもカントリーも歌うヴァーサタイルなシンガーの系譜にあると言えるか。今後が楽しみな逸材だ。
[English Translation]
The latest from Kandace Springs, the 27-year-old singer/songwriter/pianist known to have embarked on her musical career being inspired by Norah Jones’ debut album. After her self-titled, contemporary R&B-leaning debut EP in 2014, she reportedly searched what she really wanted to sing and finally, this first full-length album emerged, fully rendering her earlier influences such as jazz or her hometown Nashville’s country music. Signed with Blue Note as her hero Norah, and welcoming a splendid cast of artists that includes Grammy-awarded singer-songwriter Jesse Harris and renowned producer Larry Klein, the grand debut makes her look so high-profile but once you hear those brilliant tunes, you will see she totally deserves it. As her mentor/late music legend Prince praised "Kandace has a voice that could melt snow" her warm vocals trace such a distinctive outline that cannot be described with words such as mere ‘soothing’ or ‘bluesy’. Her husky smoky voice permeates sexiness in the jazz classic title track “Soul Eyes” (written by Mal Waldron) while it exposes her inner strength in the cover of the War song “The World Is A Ghetto”. Her very emotional singing style reminds me of a certain type of versatile singers of the likes of soul/country diva Candi Staton, rather than those in direct line of Norah. An absolute gem with so much to look forward to.
