Senayit

Senayit Tomlinson, leader of New England trio Senayit, begins her seventh record with feisty intensity. Opener "I Want You" finds her treading the well-worn folk-rock path of female rockers like Melissa Etheridge, but as the album progresses, songs begin to reveal Tomlinson's true soulful spirit. The range in which her voice is finest has little to do with its technical scope and more to do with such intangible qualities as being poignant, unguarded and intimate. Senayit excels on quiet, plaintive ballads and with the backing of Michael Ramirez (bass) and Isaac Luxon (drums and percussion), Of Body also delivers on its groovier tracks. Tomlinson cites her Ethiopian heritage and studies of gamelan music from Indonesia as sources of inspiration, and though some tracks hint at such international flavour, Senayit only flirts with eclectic experimentation, choosing to play it safe instead.