EAST SIDE STORY - EMILY KING
One of this year’s more auspicious debuts is by 22-year-old Emily King. The New Yorker delivers a soulful collection of songs that resonates as much from her skill as an observant storyteller as from her tasty melange of R&B, hip-hop, folk, jazz, rock and pop. Writing since the age of 16 and influenced by her jazz-duo parents, King outlines complex situations using simple yet ear-pleasing melodies and relatable imagery. The biographical “Colorblind” draws on the sometimes painful experiences she encountered as the daughter of an interracial couple, while heartless capitalism is the focus of the soul- and folk-infused “Business Man.” King’s emotive vocals and second-nature musicianship shine on “Walk in My Shoes” (a bonus track version features Lupe Fiasco) and a passionate turn on Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” East Side Story
