Russian Red - I Love Your Glasses

While she has been gaining notoriety in Europe, Spain's Russian Red has only recently begun to generate substantial buzz in the U.S. One listen through her current record, I Love Your Glasses, makes it obvious why such attention is merited.

The woman behind Russian Red, Lourdes Hernandez, is a gifted 22-year old with a stellar voice. Comparisons to Regina Spektor, Joanna Newsom, and Feist come to mind, but she apes none of them. The similarities come in her dynamic voice and its occasional quiver, along with an experimental bent that differentiates her from the bulk of folk-tinged female singer-songwriters. Faults can be found in occasional tendencies to emphasize vocal gymnastics over songwriting, and the unfortunate inclusion of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" as the closer. The original is a classic by now, but here it is little more than a campy distraction. Certainly a fine debut, and one likely to bring Hernandez considerable acclaim.

Russian Red - They Don't Believe
Russian Red - Nice Thick Feathers

You can listen to I Love Your Glasses via label Eureka Music.