Audrey Bussanich - Go For a Drive (2022)

There are few female vocalists who have the rich jazzy intonation & phrasing Joni Mitchell provided in her later years. This 20-something chanteuse, classically trained pianist has it on “Take Time.” Her vocal is mature with cohesive music & the lyrics amply capture the notes in a mannered way. There’s a lovely seriousness that’s entertaining with backing vocals that dazzle.

While there’s no hippie-dippy approach to her material Audrey Bussanich maintains a poetic singer-songwriter perspective that would’ve fit perfectly during that heady era. “Green,” is garnished with fancy words – apartment? She actually negotiated that awkward word into a song lyric. Yes, she did.

The 6 tunes produced by Davin Kingston for Go For a Drive does their job. It motivates listeners to want to hear more about Audrey. Through this short repertoire, she knows that less is more. There are no showboating songs, no embellished pianist runs & everything sounds balanced, thorough & detailed without losing the value of the composition’s meaning.