Maybe it’s obvious, but the big payoff from scouring the indie music scene is when you stumble across a release that, like Shakespeare, transcends time, style, and fads. Such is Lost in Transition, the 6-month-old release from genre-crossing, soul-voiced Sydney Miles. A compilation of (what we’ll call) acoustic soul ("Cheaper to Keep Her", "I Have a Secret", "Fall Away from Me", "A Child Sleeps"), bluesy pop ("Shorty"), and hip-hop ("Cougar Lady"); this one also manages to pop in on pop ("Karmic Ghosts", "Wading While Waiting"); and even, heaven help us, bring the occasional toe-tapping, boot-scooting country number ("A Good Man’s Love", "Crazy Hearted Whiskey").
Yet despite this collection’s genre-crazy divergence, a rock-solid center holds these numbers together – the lyrical mastery and brilliant vox of a songstress confident enough to experiment and skilled enough to bring home 11 solidly-irresistible tracks. Just back from a short European tour, Miles’ Austin residence is sure to include more forays into some of our better venues. Stay plugged in via facebook so you won’t be kicking yourself for missing the next gig. It takes a bit of scouring to uncover a gem like this one, so don’t let Lost in Transition get lost on you. –Written by Scott Osborn