Kristina Train - Dark Black (2013)[mp3][Spinone]

Back in 2009, Kristina Train’s debut album Spilt Milk came and went without leaving much in the way of a trace. Part the new Norah Jones, part the latest Amy Winehouse clone, the London-based New Yorker eclipsed neither and that very much seemed to be that.
But it turns out she’s made of stronger stuff. Others in her position may have decided that a lifetime of asking customers what topping they’d like on their pizza beckoned. Instead, in the three years Train took to lick her wounds, she switched labels, she ditched anything resembling jazz and she developed songwriting relationships with Ed Harcourt, Cherry Ghost’s Simon Aldred and, most significantly Martin "M. Craft" Craft. The results are startling.
Blessed with a crystal-clear voice which exudes addictive grief, Train coats her despair in twinkling, edgy tunes. The combination makes her not just a voice of real, believable depth, but a genuine contender, too.
The heartbreaking title track gives Sade a run in the imperial, glacial despair stakes, while the magnificent 'Lonely Sinner' is probably the pick of an outstanding bunch, but each listen reveals another favourite. An extraordinary record.