This young Toronto songstress weaves intricate vocals in and out of beautiful acoustic guitar flourishes. Seeded in the roots of folk rock, Layah Jane's sound adds a little more pop to the wholesome words of poetic chants like those of Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones.

And that's no surprise, considering the great influence they have over most of her work.

Jane is backed by Oliver Johnson on her sophomore album Brightness & Bravery, who adds hearty vocals and electric and baritone guitars, in addition to being general producer on the album. She is also supported by a cohort of fellow Canadian musicians, and her mellow, articulate style warms right down to the core.

When It's Time is faithful to traditional folk songs, bringing me back to Sarah McLachlan's classic "In the Arms of An Angel" -- but Jane manages to add her own heartfelt poignancy.

Put Your Foot Down picks up a bit, with an upbeat pluck of the guitar pick; this is where you can hear more modern pop pushing its way through. Like Norah Jones, Jane manages to relate to listeners via the anguish of relationship ups and downs.

And the breathy whispers opening the album in Armoury combine both new and old, bringing in the whimsical electronics so often used by Frou Frou's Imogen Heap and hitting the high notes when drawing out mournful melodies.

While many tracks seem to teeter somewhere along the folk rock spectrum, my personal favorite -- Willow -- stands on its own, with passionate, tempting vocals like those heard in a 1920's jazz club.

B&B is sure to see the same success of Jane's debut album and career in general -- she began dabbling in acoustics at the ripe young age of thirteen, and has produced rich and original music nearly all her life. After winning a wide variety of Toronto music awards and seeing features on a number of television hits (like Global TV's Blue Murder and ESPN's primetime drama Tilt), Jane's ambition and inspired poetry truly demonstrate her own bravery and brightness.

Additional Tracks:
Sagegrass
Patience

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