Lindi Ortega

I was not convinced that Lindi Ortega was offering anything that set her apart from the plethora of other young female roots artists until the third track on this debut album. With "Blue Bird," her explosive voice was finally unleashed, showing precisely why this firecracker has risen so rapidly through the Toronto scene. From "Blue Bird" on, Ortega displays a lot of exuberance, reminiscent of early Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn, although her crack studio band featuring guitarist Kevin Breit and bassist David Piltch add a lot of appropriate ambience, especially on the title track, which will certainly become Ortega's calling card. She's definitely an artist to watch.