One of my new favorites is "C'mon Miracle" by Mirah. I was sitting around studying and finally got around to giving this album a try. So, with headphones and laptop at the ready, I dumped all the tracks into Windows Media Player and listened.

During those thirty-five or so minutes, I did about three minutes of real, actual work. I was dumbfounded. Mirah is awesome. Her voice commands attention - it's like she's whispering thoughts into your ear that you're sure you've thought at least once in your life. The songwriting is solid; there is no verse-chorus-verse-bridge-whatever humdrum repetition. She really gets creative with the song structures. And then there is the instrumentation: she goes from classical guitar, to piano, to a harp-sounding thing, to grungy guitar, and back again. And there is some Latin influence as well. There's wasn't a dull moment on the album.

If you're looking for a musical reference, think PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple, Juliana Hatfield, and Tori Amos. Of course this really doesn't do her justice, but it's a start.

There's also an interview with Mirah on The Morning News.