Anna Nalick

"Wreck of the Day"

Grade: A+

Not since the release of "Pieces of You" by Jewel has a newcomer showcased so much talent on a first-effort album.

Anna Nalick's debut CD titled "Wreck of the Day" is a mellow, soulful mix of lyrics harboring a soft, sensual sound. Her voice and music sounds similar to Jewel before she turned into a robotic pop wannabe princess.

The first single, "Breathe (2 a.m.)," documents the sorrows of being alone and falling out of love. Nalick sings in the song that "these words are my diary screaming out loud," which is the truth throughout the album.

The CD is a mix of songs about love lost, being in love, and the good, bad and in-between that comes with having your heart beat outside of your chest for someone else.

While all tracks are worth a spin, songs that really stand out on the album are "Paper Bag," the title track "Wreck of the Day," "Forever Love" and "Catalyst." Because her sound doesn't resemble the fast beats that dominate the radio waves on every channel, her hopes of a fast rise to overnight stardom might be dashed, which is fine.

Nalick can stay Columbia Records best-kept secret if she keeps producing albums like this one.

--By Stacy Temple, special to The Tech Talk