Nilüfer Yanya

Nilüfer Yanya is a singer-songwriter from London whose style is a well-balanced combination of jazz, soul, folk, and rock all brought in equal amounts and in small doses, and poured into a big vat of catchy tunes to create a concoction of highbrow indie pop. She nicely pulls this trick off mostly because her songwriting chops match her stylistic ambitions. Her guitar propels her songs, whether she is plucking some jazz chords, inserting sweet little pop phrases, or giving it the old school strumming on the downbeats. The core of the Yanya experience, however, is that distinctly soothing voice that misty, breathy, and husky all at the same time. It also fits right into that intersection of textures her music creates as she croons, mumbles, yelps, or speak-sings with it, wherever the song leads her.