Women on top

The two female artists today come from opposite sides of the Atlantic “pond.” Emeli Sande (Scottish by birth) is the toast of British music right now and is truly worth the listen.

Kesha hails from America and this is her second CD, after making quite an impact in clubs last year.

Emeli Sande — Our Version of Events (Virgin/EMI). One of the best-loved new British artists by both the music critics and the public, Emeli is poised to romp away with the 2013 Brit Awards for Best Female Solo Artist, Album of the Year and possibly, Song of the Year, consolidating her Best New Artist prize in 2012. While working within the R&B genre, she transcends that with her singing and songwriting, much like how Alicia Keys does it the US. Emeli idolizes Nina Simone, and it shows in how she caresses, teases and wraps her voice around the lyrics she creates. My Kind of Love and Where I Sleep are my choice tracks, as is the percussive and choral underlay of songs like Wonder and Heaven. Heavy on the ballads, but that’s Emeli through and through.

Kesha — Warrior (RCA Sony/Ivory). Kesha’s career can be seen in contrast to Emeli, for on this sophomore album, it’s evident that while wanting to stretch her recording persona via self-penned slower numbers like Wonderland, and the ballad, Love Into the Light; her studio wants to stick to the formula she broke out with, and built a career on. That means the CD is dominated by club, dance and hip-hop tracks that are currying favor to be this year’s latest dance anthems. Among these, Warrior, Supernatural and Last Goodbye are quite catchy, if somewhat predictable. The confessional tone of Wonderland works, but it’s not what her public is anticipating, so it has to be viewed more as filler for what essentially is a collection of dance/club party tunes.