Review: Kandace Springs ‘Indigo’ Is an Eclectic Musical Escape

Kandace Springs’ new album “Indigo” is an eclectic blend of R&B, jazz, rock and classical. It’s heartfelt and soulful, complex, yet simple, exploring new musical ideas while paying homage to the past. With a style that blends touches of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu and India Ari, Kandace creates musical elegance by channeling the music greats of the Cotton Club era with a style that’s all her own.

The album opens with “Don’t Need the Real Thing,” a blissful, mellow groove centered around a rhythmic pulse of percussion. The song evokes imagery of a tropical island paradise as ships on the ocean drift gracefully toward the horizon. It’s pure melodic sunshine. Listeners are then introduced to “Breakdown,” a smooth, airy piano ballad beautifully woven with soulful vocal riffs and runs that exquisitely polish this melancholy tune.

Kandace doesn’t so much take listeners on a journey with “Indigo” as she provides a musical escape. She grabs our attention and invites us into her world. She engages us in the present and takes us to the past, all while showing the imperfect, complex individuals we all are as human beings. That’s especially true of “Fix Me,” a song where Kandace displays a vulnerable side while analyzing herself and the love she craves. “I got a problem, and I can’t let it go,” she sings, “every time I walk away, I’m running back for more.” As the song progresses, she strongly proclaims, “only you can fix me.”

“Indigo Part.1” and “Indigo Part. 2″ are interludes that are fusions of classical and soul. The first interlude gives way to “Piece of Me,” a song where Kandace channels her inner Sade. On the Gabriel Garzón-Montano remake of “68”, Kandace gives listeners more of her range on this downtempo track by hitting a series of high notes that are beautifully intertwined with the backing of a twinkling piano.

“Indigo” also includes a cover of the Stylistics’ “People Make the World Go ‘Round” and Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” On the jazz ballad “Unsophisticated,” her vocals greatly complement the trumpet playing of Roy Hargrove, combined with a soulful bass and Kandace on the piano.

On “Black Orchid,” Kandice’s vocals are backed by a warm acoustic guitar. The album then takes an unexpected turn as listeners are introduced to the gritty, yet soulful “Love Sucks.” The album then concludes with the smooth and sultry “Simple Things.”

“Indigo” is sophisticated, classic and refreshing. Kandace creates a sweet escape that shows the strength in vulnerability and the power of love.