Miss Kenichi – The Trail

"My faith is for real and my mind is free," breathes Katrin Hahner, aka Miss Kenichi, on Who Are You. Like much of The Trail, Hahner's third album as Kenichi, it seems to walk a fine line between am-dram outpouring and committed confessional. Hahner's delivery, at times, inches into the theatrical as she declaims rather than sings. And musically, the detailing often feels a bit off: the ever-present organ swell and the sparse arrangements create a muted effect that's difficult to penetrate.

And yet… There's a shining light somewhere within this unyielding record's dark heart. Part way through, as The Night shifts gear via exquisitely assembled flute and guitar, or as surprise horns carve Dreams into a mini noir symphony, it all starts to gain definition and shape. A bewitching torch song transformation of Robert Plant's Big Log seals the deal, and repeat plays trample those initial doubts. The Trail is a graceful, gloom-pop triumph. [Gary Kaill]