A few months ago, vocalist Kandace Springs released an intriguing and varied ep; this album includes that material and continues the mix of jazz, soul, R&B with pop inflections.
The mix of originals and covers has Springs using a rich palate of voices, teamed up by Karriem Riggins, who handles the drumming chores, and shares the production with Jimmy Hogarth, Jamie Hartman, carl Sturken and Evan Rogers.
Teamed with piano, she sounds fragile with her heart on sleeve for an emotional “Breakdown” and dreamy on the ballad “6 8.” A take of the classic “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” keeps faithful to the Roberta Flack original take, with a dash of modernity, while she does a hip soul jazz take of the CTI mooded “People Make the World Go Round.” Most jazz is the loose bluesy “Unsophisticated” while the exotic and richly textured “Indigo” title track is an excellent core center for Springs’ dna of sound. Lots to like here, and almost at the point where she has her own mode.