thePULSEKim DiVincenzo touches others with her quiet, personal songs
DiVincenzo has just released her second collection of songs, Here and In Between. From the first listen, her album reads like a well crafted book of short stories — a tightly knit community of songs that shares themes and moods while exploring different avenues, possibilities and melodic convictions. The tone of her lyrics matches her delivery and her guitar hooks provide a fitting hypnotic, moody counterpart.
Much like listening to the Indigo Girls’ Swamp Ophelia, the sonic landscapes of Here and In Between invite the listener to explore the autobiographical nature of the songs and to revel in one’s own interpretation. DiVincenzo says she is moved when people approach her about the songs after gigs, saying, “Surprisingly, they listen closely. They ask about this or that. This is a great compliment.” Some songs, like “The Light” and “Serendipity,” are stories of inspiration. Others catch the singer-persona in a whirlwind of emotions. In “Spin Around,” DiVincenzo yearns for a youthful love while wrestling with the distance that years bring.
As for the songwriting process, DiVincenzo’s methods continue to evolve. Her songs are organic developments of a thought or concern and the emotions, questions and possibilities they inspire. She usually starts at the guitar, singing free verse over different melodies until she is inspired. For instance, “Is it a sin if you dream it” is the lyric that begot “Sweetest Dream.”
DiVincenzo is influenced by a long list of artists, some whom she’s listened to for years (she often basks in Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary) and some newer acts whom she admires (like Jason Mraz for his witty lyrics). When asked which songs she considers without peer, she warmly responds, “Jeff Buckley’s “Morning Theft” from Sketches. Nobody knows that song. Something in that song kills me, I want to weep. He takes me somewhere. A perfect song gets you in just one note. If a song does that, it makes me want to melt.”
Here and in Between is more than just an enigmatic album name. It captures the mature and mixed-up moments, the ambitious yet hesitant yearnings, the daily history and clean slates that come with being in your twenties. With her new album, DiVincenzo proves herself a viable candidate for the guild of singer-songwriters that includes Jackson Browne, Suzanne Vega, Josh Ritter – humble storytellers who marry a telling melody with a simple but arresting guitar line. She is a hard working musician, who deserves your shortlist of new and unforgettable songwriters.
