There’s something ernest in a Broadway actress releasing an album that clearly highlights the influence of the Great White Way on her music. Despite its strong roots in bluegrass, americana, and folk, there’s the overarching image of Chilina Kennedy sitting on stage performing any of her thirteen affecting songs off of her debut album “What You Find in a Bottle.”
What makes the album so endearing is its pure honesty. It’s the genre of singer-songwriter at its finest. A simple production that highlights Kennedy’s voice cast against a relatively stripped down orchestration gives the album genuine charm.
The first couple tracks introduce us to the folk infused pop that runs through the album. They’re reminiscent of Colbie Caillat acoustic singer-songwriter style. However, what sets Kennedy apart is her soulful twist and profound lyrics that keep us engaged even when the music doesn’t.
Where the album really takes off is when the folk pop third track “I Wouldn’t Call it Love.” Not only does it work as a more upbeat ballad, but also as a chill sway to the music jam. From there the album forays into an education of folk, bluegrass, and americana with slight digressions into simple acoustic guitar ballads like the album high point “Gold.”
Mid album gem “This Year” rocks on as a bluegrass jam that inspires some foot tapping and head bobbing, but what is more of note is the gorgeous instrumentation that makes strong use of the fiddle, which is reminiscent of indie band Run River North.
“The Gambler” illustrates the album’s ten year origin. Not that it tells the story of the album, but it simply demonstrates the lyrical storytelling that drives the thirteen songs. She questions, “why did listen to the bullshit like I was made for you?” It’s that personal flair that makes the album what it is. Even though the songs may be disjointed, the lyrics carry it through to last you from front to back.
Despite the strong song writing, the album suffers from a weak production. It works for what the album is supposed to be, but you find yourself yearning for it to take off. If the songs were fleshed out and given a full treatment from a producer that could add depth, the overall sound would take off.
Chilina Kennedy is currently playing Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. “What You Find in a Bottle” is available for download on iTunes.
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.