It's official. I have a major crush on Kimbra. Give her music a couple seconds and I bet you will feel the same way. You have likely heard her voice before on Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", but maybe you haven't yet heard the name to go along with this up-and-coming 21 year old . My bet is that is all about to change. Her reputation just took a big step forward after having killed at South by Southwest in Austin, putting together 8 sets over four days, all filled to the brim with buzz-inducing spastic energy. The New Zealand-born singer/songwriter is just getting started, but already exhibits a talent and musical maturity hinting there is much more to come. Her first album Vows, released in 2011, exhibits a smokey soulful voice layered within a fantastic collection of jazz-influenced theatrical pop tracks. Her music manages to be both retro-chic and excitingly unique and creative at the same time, and there is no denying the powerhouse pipes fueling this young lady's talent.
While going through her music I was particularly impressed with the live on-air Grizzly Bear/Tears for Fears mash-up Kimbra did of "Two Weeks" and "Head Over Heels." When you watch the performance above, pay attention to how she begins by recording a few musical phrases, layers them over one another, and then plays back her own voice to serve as an added rhythm instrument and backup vocals throughout the song. I think I ovulated when I first figured out what she was doing. So. Hot.
I put together a 8 song Kimbra playlist above so you could check out a few tunes. You can also download the live radio performance of "Two Weeks/Head Over Heels" here and also a great song by Miami Horror called "I Look To You" featuring Kimbra. So, sit back, hit play, and enjoy a promising new talent.
