Chesapeake

by James Christopher Monger

Rachael Yamagata's first studio album since 2007’s gorgeous yet devastating Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart utilized the fan-funded music platform PledgeMusic, the generosity of which helped to yield another solid collection of emotive, poignant pop songs that find the ex-Bumpus singer in a more hopeful state of mind. Recorded in Maryland with a small of army of talented friends, Chesapeake is by far Yamagata's most laid-back release to date, offering up ten tracks that run the gamut from lush and languid (“Saturday Morning,” “Even If I Don’t”) to sultry and spooky (“Starlight”) and back again with the easy confidence of an artist on her home turf.