Leona Naess

Following in the wake of Beth Orton, English singer/songwriter Leona Naess arrives on the scene to deliver her own style of avant-folk music. Comatised, her 12-song, 53-minute disc, shares much in common with Orton's Trailer Park debut and Central Reservation follow-up. Both artists manage to convey a strong sense of story and place in songs that seem genuine and real. Both talk about every day events with a palpable longing for deliverance from life's more mundane aspects. But where Orton trips in a more ambient electronic vein, the New York-based Naess' pop tones lean more towards the alt-rock vibe of Liz Phair and Fiona Apple. The result is a solid debut from an engaging new talent.