Rachael Yamagata

happenstance

Rachael Yamagata has it: talent, beauty and an incredibly sweet release in her first full-length album, Happenstance. Her debut, a five-song EP, just wasn't enough to satisfy a hungry and growing audience who were captivated by Rachael's dusky vocals and sparse, penetrating, jazz-pop style.

(1963) "Baby, I'm stuck in the middle and I don't know why. I found the words you sing to me are sweeter than the words of a bird in the sky. Oh the days you came around I feel so good for me, I can take most anything, 'cause what you bring, I find it to be magical, hey eh, I feel like I'm lovin you in 1963, hey eh, flowers in my hair now, hey eh, little bitty hearts upon my cheek, baby you'll be on my mind until I kiss you next time…"

Music pundits hurriedly made comparisons to Norah Jones and Fiona Apple, justifiably so, Rachael herself names Carole King as her stylistic influence, though in truth, Rachael Yamagata sings with a sexy earthiness that the esteemed Miss King never had. Rachael's unique voice, a combination of smoky sensuality and youthful innocence, together with her infinitely appealing intimate delivery provides an instantly recognizable and warmly memorable identity.

The Intimate Quality of Rachael Yamagata and Happenstance…

Some artists and their music sound larger-than-life with an 'up on the stage', concert hall and stadium resonating power, omnipresent but unapproachable. Listening to the thirteen songs included Happenstance it is easy to imagine yourself sitting at a front-row table in a softly lit, down-the-stairs backroom club where you are the only member of the audience and Rachael Yamagata is performing for you alone. It's a great feeling, a warm feeling and one that creates a tangible bond between artist and listener. Combined with her other very obvious talents, it's a quality that bodes well for her future success.

Happenstance: a circumstance due to chance

So where did Rachael Yamagata come from and how did she get here? A Washington D.C. native who has spent five years with the Chicago band Bumpus - a highly energetic funk/soul, hip-hop band influenced by artists such as Sly Stone, Prince, Mos Def, and George Clinton, Rachael found that she needed an outlet for her own voice and style. As Rachael Yamagata states in her bio, "I kept falling in and out of love and needed some creative outlet for those emotions. Surrounded by guys who weren't really coming from Carole King, Roberta Flack, James Taylor, Ricki Lee Jones, Simon and Garfunkel … the trail I began with them started to diverge. My writing didn't fit, so in a cathartic breakdown six years later I decided to try an open mic with these other songs and see what happened."

"Happenstance, produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews etc.), is a collection of songs inspired by my obsessions, often love related, but not always. It's about the battle between chance circumstances and the belief that everything happens for a reason. The title and the back cover addition of 'the never can be' suggest that I'm not really endorsing chance, but, in fact insisting that there must be a reason for repeated broken hearts - perhaps a promise of a better situation, learning experience, the greater love etc. It's a circular argument… and it's merely a matter of 'happenstance' that the title is what it is anyway. Without the hopefulness of reason, how could anyone weather the highs and lows of relationships and this delightful junk called love."

Will Rachael Yamagata impact the 2004 music scene? I certainly believe so. A growning chorus of critical praise combined with ample media presence and an aggressive tour schedule, Rachael Yamagata will have every opportunity to reach out to a welcoming audience. Rachael Yamagata's Happenstance belongs on your 'A-list!' Highly recommended. review by jack "papa" baer 2004-06-01

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