Lynn Cardona

How'd we let this one get away? Lynn Cardona, a silky-voiced thrush originally from these parts, now makes Memphis her home. The loss is ours, as evidenced by her svelte, soulful debut.

Produced by former Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo Mathus, a man known more for raucous, Fat Possum-style blues than for these mellow sounds, Lovin' You is a tidy set of originals on which Cardona and her backup trio wisely play within the modest production values available. The album provides a flattering snapshot of an artist likely to bloom a little further down the road. If her range is not vast, Cardona works well with what she's got, fulfilling the role of young jazz chanteuse. Her standout writing emerges on "Hey," in which a catchy verse vies for attention with an equally engaging chorus. If you walked in on this set somewhere, chances are you'd order a drink and stay awhile.