Elizabeth Walters

As a male, the principle behind Lilith Fair (which bucked the ugly trend of concert promoters hesitating to ever feature two female artists/groups on a ticket back-to-back) was more appealing to me than the actual lineup that performed on the tour across the US and Canada in the late 90s. It’s not that I loathed the likes of Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and the rest, but intimate folk pop wasn’t exactly a close neighbor to the alternative/grunge phase I was still going through at the time. Maybe because I wasn’t spoiled by the explosion of those female artists or maybe (more likely) because she’s the real deal, anyone looking for a sweet little nostalgia trip would do right to check out the music of Elizabeth Walters.

The 20-year-old Cincinnati native is fairly new to the scene, but what she may lack in experience is compensated by professional chops and polish. She began taking guitar lessons when she was twelve, is self-taught on the piano, drums and synthesizers, and began writing and recording music by the age of fifteen. Inspired by Jewel, McLachlan, Tori Amos and Regina Spektor, her work pays knowing tribute to her predecessors, but, refreshingly, the sound isn’t derivative in nature. The faintly melancholic tone that ebbs through even the upbeat moments avoids too many specifics, but any accusations of being non-descript are deftly deflected because they touch upon universal feelings.

Walters has spent the last few years making a name for herself in local establishments, including Blind Lemon Café and Allyn’s Café in Cincinnati, Covington’s Bar Monet, Canal Street Tavern in Dayton and Southgate House in Newport. Her performances cover her studio material, rough tracks and covers, with sets that can run up to and even beyond two hours. She has an EP currently available on her website of tracks she recorded at a home studio, with the vocals done at Ultrasuede, and mastered at QCA. Titled Last Day, she co-produced the record herself and the engineering duties were handled by her father, Tom, a former musician who encouraged her talent. In the future, she plans to iron out the kinks on several more songs currently on the back burner for a full-length release.

Not pigeonholed into an easily definable class, Walters’ interests expand beyond her music. She’s currently studying to take the SAT so she can attend college where she is considering majoring in business. Her musical interests also lie far outside the female folk pop singer/songwriter sound, including Pearl Jam, Counting Crows, John Mayer, R.E.M., Ben Folds and Radiohead.

As for the EP itself, it’s astonishingly well-polished for an independent recording from such a new artist. A steady acoustic strum and fluttering synth keys announce the title track, which uses an upward lilt to float (and belie) the regretful tone of her pleading voice. On “Promised Me,” the steady drumbeat played on the synthesizer comes out with a fuller sound, and the second guitar that plucks away during the wordless bridge is especially effective. And on “Changing,” Walters hits on a remarkable truth as her voice tenderly aches: “Things around here are changing/The important things we remembered are fading/Things around here are getting/In the way of a new beginning.” Melodic, heartfelt and bittersweet, Last Day is a strong first outing for a very promising singer/songwriter. - Just Press Play