Sylvie Bourban's debut, "[ki:r]" is most definitely an album not to be missed.  Her great blend of original compositions, bold and creative improvisations full of group dialogue, and great command of the south american music vernacular make her a very versatile and multi-faceted artist. Starting off with the nostalgic, yet powerful song "I Remember", she shows the listener a group in full form and a clear, cristaline, expressive and powerful voice up-front. This is followed by a swinging rendition of "Alfie" in 3/4 (unusual for this standard tune), displaying yet another facet of her pallete of sounds and interpretations. "Falling" follows with a very stylish blend of pop oriented songwriting strongly informed by Jazz. "Chipmunk Tango" reveals a slightly darker -yet playful- side of Sylvie with great group interaction and wonderful improvisational display. This piece also shows Ms. Bourban's great use of effects and interesting production elements. Going in yet another direction is "Paradoxe Bossa", where Ms. Bourban shows us another facet of her compositional talent by presenting a beautiful brazilian-influenced song with a beautifully gentle and subtle vocal interpretation. One of the highlights of this CD is her beautiful and powerful rendition of the popular south american song "Alfonsina y el Mar".  While there have been many versions of this song, Sylvie presents her own in an honest way and, most certainly, full of passion and with a clear understanding of the tragic content of the song's powerful lyrics. With "It's Kinda Odd", Sylvie allows an outlet for the songwriting talents of her guest violin player, Helen Sherrah-Davies. A song that goes back and forth between a darker and a brighter side, displaying excellent group performance and a sophisticated combination of swinging and 6/8 grooves. This song is a challenge for vocalists, but Ms. Bourban deals with ease with the intricacies of this song's melody and modulations. The album closes with another fascinating improvisation, "Walking Owl" where, once again, great group interaction is displayed.  This album shows that there are great artists that deserve wider recognition, and Sylvie Bourban and her music definitely should get as much exposure as possible.  Let there be a second release from this talented Swiss artist soon.
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From first to last a superb CD. It took me back to those great years that I\'ve longed for. If you like discovering new vocal artists, this is a must album for you. \"Ki:r\" still remains as one of my great late night favourites by the way. A very subtile, energetic, jazzy album to keep in rotation and to be addicted to it like a drug. I will give this CD to all my friends for Christmas.
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What a great CD this is! Sylvie Bourban is great at what she does. And she does it all. Because of very creative melodies this first album is very listenable. Intense lyrics and tunes that will get into you – you can feel the emotion. These are the songs your soul sings: full of truths about the way our regrets and fears make us human and pull us closer to each other; while being human means constantly looking toward the stars. Sylvie Bourban\'s voice knocks me out. She is so talented as a singer and a songwriter. Awesome!  Play it again and again.
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