Singular voices

The two artists today both possess unique vocal delivery that sets them apart from today’s pop mainstream. Melody Gardot is a Philadelphia native who considers herself a citizen of the world and showcases that most impressively with the new CD of hers. Some have likened her to a young, more hip Diana Krall. As for Dia Frampton, she first caught the public’s attention with her stint in The Voice, and parlays that exposure with this assured first studio album, merging indie and pop.

Melody Gardot — The Absence (Decca/Universal Music). The influences on the album of Gardot are truly global — songs like Mira are distinctly bossa and Brazilian beaches in the evening-inspired, while Argentina, the street corners of Buenos Aires and the tango are prevalent in two songs. The ambiance of Lisbon and Portugal echo in Lisboa; while Impossible Love has Melody singing in English while speaking in French with the zouk sounds of Marrakech, Morocco echoing in the background. A road accident in 2003 led to Gardot suffering from head and spinal injuries, leaving her super-sensitive to light and sound. Music is a form of therapy for the very individual artist, and famed guitarist Heitor Pereira produces and arranges with great subtlety. This is an album that while skirting the mainstream, and flirting with jazz and world music, is just too “cool” to ignore! Forget the misguided artwork, the prize is the music!

Dia Frampton — Red (Universal Republic Records). Dia successfully merges indie with pop, with a little country thrown in — thanks to her stint in The Voice, where Blake Shelton was her mentor. The Broken Ones is the carrier single for the album and it’s an anthem-type confection that really works. At times, the CD reminds me of Duffy and Lenka’s debuts, but Dia’s voice and delivery are her very own. If one had to grasp for comparisons, think of Stevie Nicks with indie roots, or the Ronettes approach to hit-making. Billy the Kid and Good Boy exemplify what I’m describing; while a cut like Daniel is pure breathless, childlike wah-wah (on the chorus), that works as an acoustic charmer. A singer-songwriter who flits between genres and wraps her voice around any kind of song thrown her way, Dia could use some focus in the future, but for now, she dishes up the album that comes at you like a sunny afternoon.