Kimya Dawson

Kimya Dawson's deal-maker as far as her appeal is concerned is her lisp. She has a really great little lisp that tips her personal "anti-folk” anthems over to Disney-esque levels of charming. She sounds like Fred Penner for punk rock posterity, encouraging her audience: "if you want to cut yourself, remember that I love you,” and cultivating a warm, universally friendly image to go with her Free to Be You and Me-style lyrics, which are delivered in breathless torrents (she has great diction, too). Cynics would probably write this off at first listen, but I propose to them this: Kimya is so sweet and upbeat that she has actually transcended four-track fey and become a real entertainer. Not quite Jonathan Richman, but her stuff is clever, her persona is unsinkable, and some of her more sensitive or cheery lyrics cease to be cringe-worthy once you imagine them sung to an all-ages audience. Her set at the children’s folk fair would probably be much easier for parents to sit through than Moxy Früvous (though no offence is intended towards the latter). Kimya’s pep is refined, not gimmicky; these brisk, acoustic ditties are very likeable, and so is their performer.