With wonderfully deep sultry vocals that just ooze passion, this is high quality atmospheric music, which at times has an almost film noir-ish feel to it - and this is one 'dame' you definitely wouldn't mind her walking into your gin joint!
With hints of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, a bit of blues thrown in and the occasional pop influence coming to the fore, this is not an easy one to classify. In some ways it falls into the Norah Jones, Katie Melua or even Corrine Bailey Rae territory (not somewhere Blues Bunny would knowingly venture it has to be said) - and Kristen is more than a match for any of them.
Standout tracks are the excellent "Love Letters from a Fool"; the outstanding blues of "Love is a Gamble" (which wouldn't be out of place on a BB king album), and the up tempo, pop influenced "Last Chance Girl". On top of all that there is the superb "Slow Down", which builds to a sort of strange laid back crescendo!
With some excellent cliché free lyrics, this is undoubtedly one of the best independent releases of the year.