Today's Pick

There are so many female singer-songwriters around at the moment that it's difficult to pick the best ones. Following the success of artists like Laura Marling and Florence Welch, a whole stream of female folk singers have emerged from the underground hoping to fill the shoes of their mainstream predecessors. Lana Mir is one to watch. She released her intimate 60's inspired video for her latest single "These Days" off of her self-titled debut album, which is a collection of songs that wholly reflects Mir's unconventional journey both worldly and timeless. The video, shot in the streets of New York City, captures Mir in the studio and New York's meatpacking district.
The Ukrainian born singer-songwriter found that her creative options were limited and albeit her love of music was insatiable in her own country and moved to New York City to boost her music career. After meeting producer Andy Chase, the debut LP was created – a sweet, soothing collection of beautifully innovative and multi-influenced songs sure to make her stand out from the crowd of females in her genre. It's easy to fall for Mir, who finds herself a New Yorker and she's a strong writer with an assertive sense of grace with a voice that sounds incapable of sounding anything but angelic.
Like fine wine or film noir, Ukranian born singer's eponymous debut takes a bit of getting used to. It is a promising beginning for the enchanting chanteuse. The album's 11 airy pop songs are bouncy, warm and flow with unassuming emotion, but they're also uncomfortably straightforward in their intentions. Mir's plaintive vocals are smartly countered by lush production. Her sultry voice and subdued sensuality combined with Chase's warm, gauzy production creates a fitting home for Mir's organic blend of contemporary and vintage 60s-style pop. Mir pours herself into the hushed minimalism of "These Days."
"These Days" is melancholic and a little sad. The acoustic lilt of "These Days," employs spartan instrumentation which posits Mir's voice as the center point and the Ukrainian never disappoints. Artists that embrace minimalism and use it to their advantage will never meet a disgruntled critic and "These Days," proves exactly that. When you see the track "These Days" on her CD, you might get excited to hear her take on Jackson Browne's great track, which was famously covered by Nico. In truth, this "These Days" is her own composition, and "These Days" is a lovely meditation along the same lines of Browne's version: "These days, I know, they weren't meant to last forever." I love it. There's an incredible influx of female folk singers coming into the industry at the moment but there is no doubt that Mir's incredible talent and singing voice will set her apart from the imitators and allow her to create a name for herself as one of the best female singer-songwriters of the moment.