Country-rock and folk-Americana from B.C. singer-songwriter
Pauline Kyllonen is a country-rock singer from British Columbia whose 2008 debut EP opens with a gutsy rocker that favorably recalls ‘70s belters like Ellen Foley and Genya Raven. Yet it’s ballads that appear foremost on Kyllonen’s song list, as the original “Rainbow Café†drops the romping electric guitar of the opener for pedal steel and a moving lyric of small town stasis and a life that’s passed by. She sings sweetly, reaching into her high register for the folk-jazz “Like a River,†bring to mind early Joni Mitchell, and closes with a ballad whose heavy drums and low organ match the power of her singing. Kyllonen is served by solid arrangements that keep her strong voice and lyrics front and center. If Nashville were still interested in three chords and the truth, “Rainbow Café†would have already been snatched up by one of its current hitmakers. As it is, this four-song EP is a good introduction for listeners and a great calling card to the lucky label who eventually signs Kyllonen. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com] 