But it’s not like there isn’t good pop music being made, and one of the brighter spots is the angel-faced and -voiced Duncan native Laura Leighe, who seems more concerned with connecting to her listeners than selling them a product.
Her EP’s opener, “Find Me,” is a saucy and masterfully produced single with a clever “Mr. Sandman” sample interwoven into a punchy, percussion-driven hook. It’s Sleigh Bells meets Billie Holiday, and it works.
Leighe has got impressive range, which she wields like a weapon on the similarly sassy “Lovesick Spaceship,” zipping to a spotless falsetto and back without the slightest slip. A lot of credit goes to songwriting partner Zach Dumbleton for the unique construction of jazzy cosmic pop that makes these two really stand out.
The closing pair of “Why Lie” and “Heaven” hinge closer to the piano pop of Sara Bareilles or Vanessa Carlton, although there’s a bit more edge and weight in the way she carries her voice.
This four-song disc is just as slick and accessible as anything you’d hear on the radio, but with tons more heart, smarts and soul. Give her the budget and publicity push that those with half her talent do, and she’d be a star in a heartbeat.
The Laura Leighe EP is available on iTunes, and you can catch Leighe at 8 p.m. Saturday at Nonna’s Purple Bar, 124 E. Sheridan. —Joshua Boydston
