Kaela Sinclair is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Denton, Texas, who will release her debut, Sun & Mirror, on May 13. The album features her passionate voice and emotional songwriting abilities, all set to minimal music. She has been spotlighted at festivals such as South By Southwest, Red Gorilla Music Festival, and the Sarasota Arts Festival. She has also received plentiful radio play in her home state.
“Ghosts You’ve Won” opens the record with a slow piano riff, as well as with Kaela Sinclair’s sweet, breathy voice. It then transforms into a swaying track full of “oohs” and quiet violins. “Stranger” is slightly faster and chronicles her story of finally getting over a lover. The first single from the album, “Original Sin,” has already reached considerable chart success. It is a slick, Lorde-like anthem of the artist finding herself despite all the heartbreak, and finally focusing on what she needs. It is easily the best tune on Sun & Mirror, and would not be out of place on the radio or on a movie soundtrack. Closing the full-length is the slow and melancholic “Coral Castles,” which is sung with intense longing.
Sun & Mirror is a respectable debut from Kaela Sinclair, and shows that she is a rising artist. Her record is not only ambitious and well done, but it is also pleasure to hear. Each song is different enough so that they don’t blur together, but the whole LP is cohesive and conveys Sinclair’s strong emotions.
In A Word: Expressive
