Emily King has been nominated for a Grammy. She's had a major record deal (remember East Side Story?). And after all that has passed, she's still making music. In fact, she's making it better than ever.

Emily King The Switch (Making Music)

The sound isn't exactly R&B, jazz, pop, EDM or americana. But it's somewhere in there. King swirls her influences in a chilled glass and pours them out ever so smoothly. The resulting songs are cool but assertive. This is music that demands attention even as it sets a fine groove.

The astonishing range of sounds here is most impressive. Anyone who can channel Macy Gray singing Patti Griffin songs--and do so while sounding entirely like herself--has more ability than I can imagine. King does have a solid history and an impressive pedigree (her parents are jazz vocalists), but results are what matters. And this is one hell of an album.

King does multitrack her vocals--without Autotune, of course. She often creates a harmony effect, which can appear in the background or the lead. Or both. The operative question always seems to be, "Does this work?" My ears say "yes."

King's songs are probably a bit too complex and involved for mainstream acclaim. There's a lot going on, both in the writing and the performing. She's not a simple person, and she doesn't make simple music. Which is probably why this album is so striking. Wonderful stuff.

Jon Worley