The "Have You Met..." column will focus on artist's who have debuted in the last few years that you might have missed. These will, for the most part, be singer/songwriters who should have had commercial success, but for one reason or another, were lost in the shuffle.
Priscilla Ahn "A Good Day" (8/10)
In 2007, a Korean-American folk artist rocked the indie music scene with an EP that positioned her to be the next Regina Spektor or Ingrid Michaelson. Unfortunately for Ms. Ahn, that 5 song wonder was forgotten in the year and a half between it and her full-length debut, proving that even music nuts have short memories. Despite being the iTunes Editor's Pick of the month, "A Good Day" never really got off the ground, failing to break into the Billboard top 200.
However, this was not due to lack of quality. On the contrary, Priscilla's album may be the most vibrant and slick (in a good way) CD from a folkie in a long time. In the album's opener, "Dream," she blends pop and lo-fi together in such a way that it is universally appealing without being vapid or idiotic.
The rest of the album is just as good. "Wallflower" is a cute song about two shy kids meeting at the same party, while the record's best song, "Red Cape," is pretty much about nothing, but her lyricism and sparkling wit makes it a runaway hit creatively nonetheless.
On the softer side of things, "Lullaby" could be a long-lost children's bed time song with it's strong melody and Ahn's beautiful falsetto. Clocking in at almost 5 minutes (unusual for a folk song) you still want to hear more and more. "A Good Day (Morning Song)" is the perfect album closer, bringing to mind waking up to a beautiful sunrise. From the emotion of her words to the powerful quietness in her voice, Priscilla Ahn proves that she does not deserve to be just another Hotel Cafe singer. She deserves to be a star.
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