Jihae
Fire Burning Rain
(Septem)

The overwhelming mystique of Fire Burning Rain, the latest release by singer/songwriter, Jihae (pronounced “jee-heh”), is visceral with its murky, mostly electronic instrumentation that helps layer her longing, soft, slightly roughened, indelible voice. There is just enough lyrical detail and shady ambiance that make each song as interesting as the next and is considered to be, by most alternative music standards, exquisitely unrivaled.

Over stilted stomps of machinated tones, pops and soft taps of drum, on “Electric Pigeon,” Jihae coos like an irresistible mythical songbird. At times sounding like a modern day Chrissie Hynde, especially on “The Model,” where flirty romps of drums ensue with sexy speculation and slight sympathy. Jihae has been compared to many music icons, artists such as Liz Phair, Bjork, Grace Jones and Thom Yorke. The album is elegantly outfitted with a heady smoldering vocal styling and music that fits the mystery.

Jihae is South Korean and grew up in Sweden and Nigeria. Her breathy lyrics over a stealth pop/rock electro-core foundation is just enough to make every song stand out like a short story with just the right narration and drama to keep one interested. Jihae possesses that rare quality that constantly unfolds with perfect musical intrigue and romanticism.