Introducing Diane Birch

When the people at One2One Network contacted me about reviewing Diane Birch's new CD, Bible Belt, I thought I'd be getting a Christian music CD. Obviously I don't read my email very carefully!


But I was pleasantly surprised after all. I've been listening to it for the last few days trying to figure out what to call it. Mostly it reminds me of Norah Jones (who I love), but with different instrumentation and a bit more upbeat tempo on some of the songs. Overall though there's the laid back feeling that makes the whole thing easy to listen to.

The song I've had stuck in my head is called Mirror Mirror and I love the way it talks about our image.

Here's the official bio on Diane Birch:

For singer-songwriter Diane Birch, music was a refuge. Although Diane was born in Michigan, her childhood was spent on the move as the daughter of a preacher, living between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia, before her parents finally settled in Portland, Oregon. When she was in her early teens, Diane absorbed a unique and cosmopolitan perspective on life that shines through her music and makes a simple categorization of it impossible.

The result? Diane Birch sounds like an old favorite, with all the sparkle and magic of a breakthrough talent. People says she sounds like a combination of early Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks, with a little Joss Stone and Cat Power mixed in. Bible Belt is only her first record, but it’s one of the most accomplished albums you’ll hear all year. From the opening track “Fire Escape” to the closing “Magic View,” Diane’s stunning voice is mesmerizing.

Written entirely by Diane, Bible Belt was recorded in New York City and New Orleans with an impressive team of Grammy-winning producers: S-Curve Records founder Steve Greenberg, soul legend Betty Wright and Mike Mangini, in their first project together since producing Joss Stone’s first albums.

And here's a link to the first song on the album to check out for yourself: Fire Escape