Jennifer Hershman's These Are the Ways sounds rich and fully realized

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      These Are the Ways (Independent)

      Jennifer Hershman has a pretty voice, and the music on this EP sounds rich and fully realized (for which cowriters Chin Injeti and Eric Solomon and coproducer Joe Cruz surely deserve much credit). As a session singer, Hershman has lent her pipes to various producers of midnight-in-Ibiza trance (including Tucandeo, Jonas Steur, and Alkatraz), but the five songs here are far removed from the world of glow sticks and Balearic beats. This is strictly singer-songwriter territory, edging into glossy country (“Picture This”), string-gilt orch-pop (“Leap of Faith”), and Hammond organ–ornamented old-school soul (“These Are the Ways”).

      The trouble is, Hershman’s lyrics are often awkward and clunky. A prime example is “Ain’t So Bad”, in which, by way of counting her blessings both mundane and profound, she reveals, “We got a fridge/It’s got some food/But by far the most precious gift in all the world/I’ve got you.” It doesn’t so much roll off of Hershman’s tongue as it falls out and crashes onto the floor with a dull thud.

      Did I mention that the EP sounds really great?

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