Haley Reinhart
“Listen Up!”
19/Interscope
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Debuts from former “American Idol” contestants can be filed into two categories: record label-issued blandness, or wholly authentic to the contestant America spent weeknights voting incessantly for. Thankfully, the first collection from Season Ten finalist Haley Reinhart falls into the latter.
The bluesy ingenue’s debut, “Listen Up!” was quietly released in late May (just as a new winner was crowned) and is one of the stronger post-”Idol” efforts. Her meaty, throaty growl that often got criticized on the show is fully embraced here. She can belt pure, airy pop when necessary, and she does, but funky jazz, blues and R&B dominate the disc.
In a post-Amy Winehouse world, listeners are still hungry for retro soul, even if the conversation is dominated by imports like Adele and Emeli Sandé. Reinhart presents a nimble voice that although undoubtedly influenced by current sounds, leans heavily on the sultry harmonies of Lisa Stansfield and En Vogue.
