The piano-based melodies of singer/songwriter Kit Holmes may suggest Norah Jones, but the confessional, introspective romantic laments on her new record Return to Love are wrapped in an unmistakable '70s pop sensibility that actually echoes more Carole King's Tapestry. Nearly every track on Return to Love could have been played on AM radio back in the day, and as a lyricist Holmes would've held her own against the likes of Adult Contemporary staples such as James Taylor and Carly Simon.
As the album title suggests, Return to Love is mainly concerned with romantic relationships, especially with the difficulties of healing and moving forward after one has had its fire snuffed out. Surviving a breakup is like crawling from a wreckage and then trying to drive again; there are equal amounts of trepidation and excitement, anger and newly found joy, and Holmes covers all of the bases with honesty and warmth. Holmes actually opens the record on a positive note with the title cut. “But when my heart is open/ And my mind is clear/I know I can," Holmes sings with cautious optimism. The song's mellow groove comforts the heavy weight in the words. Holmes is clearly not saying that the time of acceptance has arrived; she is singing of some imaginary future date when all's well.
Conflicting emotions make their presence known as well; indeed, love is never simple. Holmes' sultry delivery on “Bad Seed" may suggest desire but the lyrics have the sting of a spurned lover's slap to the face. In “Bad Seed," Holmes focuses on the vulnerability many people, male or female, have towards the aggressive pull of the dangerous kind, which often leads to disappointment and bitterness. However, she speaks from the perspective of someone who is no longer going to put up with anybody's garbage. Holmes's show of strength is best exemplified by “Blue Guitar," in which her voice soars with self-confidence.
Holmes started writing tunes at the age of 9 but she didn't release her award-winning debut album, All I Know, until 2004. Return to Love finds Holmes reaching a level of musical craftsmanship and depth of feeling that is quite impressive and impossible to ignore.
As the album title suggests, Return to Love is mainly concerned with romantic relationships, especially with the difficulties of healing and moving forward after one has had its fire snuffed out. Surviving a breakup is like crawling from a wreckage and then trying to drive again; there are equal amounts of trepidation and excitement, anger and newly found joy, and Holmes covers all of the bases with honesty and warmth. Holmes actually opens the record on a positive note with the title cut. “But when my heart is open/ And my mind is clear/I know I can," Holmes sings with cautious optimism. The song's mellow groove comforts the heavy weight in the words. Holmes is clearly not saying that the time of acceptance has arrived; she is singing of some imaginary future date when all's well.
Conflicting emotions make their presence known as well; indeed, love is never simple. Holmes' sultry delivery on “Bad Seed" may suggest desire but the lyrics have the sting of a spurned lover's slap to the face. In “Bad Seed," Holmes focuses on the vulnerability many people, male or female, have towards the aggressive pull of the dangerous kind, which often leads to disappointment and bitterness. However, she speaks from the perspective of someone who is no longer going to put up with anybody's garbage. Holmes's show of strength is best exemplified by “Blue Guitar," in which her voice soars with self-confidence.
Holmes started writing tunes at the age of 9 but she didn't release her award-winning debut album, All I Know, until 2004. Return to Love finds Holmes reaching a level of musical craftsmanship and depth of feeling that is quite impressive and impossible to ignore.
