Ever on the lookout for something new musically, and needing something on this Tuesday to ignite the blood before work, I found that K.T. Tunstall does the trick. Her latest track to get radio play here in the U.S., Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, off her debut album Eyes to the Telescope, has the toe-tapping country quality of Little Big Town’s Boondocks mixed with a smoky jazz vocals that elevate this song above the usual top 40 fair.

K.T. Tunstall was born in St. Andrews, Scotland and was christened Kate Victioria by her adoptive parents, a couple of academics who were not into music at all and loved nothing more than to pack up the family and camp out. KT grew up knowing that she was adopted and felt it added mystery to her life. Growing up in a nonmusical family it appears that music was simply in her blood as she recalls being told that even as young as the age of four she would draw guitars and attempt to draw various notes and write songs. As a child of the 80’s KT was exposed to the powerful ballads of Whitney Houston and the like but says that this music did not connect with her. It wasn’t until she was given an album of Ella Fitzgerald’s music that she realized what music could really be. KT says Ella Fitzgerald became her vocal teacher and at the age of 16 she picked up a guitar and a lesson book and taught herself to play. This led to enrollment in the Royal Holloway college to further study music, thus another female singer/songwriter was born. Not long after she convinced a friend who played the mandolin to join with her in a battle of the bands competition. They won out…over 11 goth bands! Accolades continue to this day as her debut album has won numerous awards in the U.K.

So what makes KT stand out from the pack of similar female incarnations? I personally think alot of it hearkens back to her influences. KT takes inspiration from Lou Reed, Billie Holliday, Tom Waits, and the aforementioned Ella Fitzgerald. At her very best I think these influences flow through her music. When she entered the studio to record her first album she says she literally showed up with 100 songs. It wasn’t until she was in the studio that she created what is arguably the strongest song on the album, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. The song has what KT says is most important in a song, groove, and it has that in spades. The song also shows off her metaphoric songwriting skills. Black Horse‘s lyrics may seem vague until you are informed by KT that it is a metaphor for choices and those moments when one has an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. KT’s debut album is filled with a wide variety of songs showcasing her ability to write and perform a myriad of styles. I think she is at her best when the songs have a strong tempo and lean heavily on her guitar playing. KT has a rich, jazzy, sultry voice that makes for an enjoyable musical experience.

There are two places that you can go to listen to KT’s music and watch videos. If you have Rhapsody, that is the best. I encourage you to watch the video for Black Horse first and then watch the Rolling Stone live performance. Both videos are listed under the Video List heading. It is amazing to watch her perform live and experience just how strong a performer she is. She uses this unique tech set up to literally be a one-woman band that has to be seen to be believed. If you don’t have a subscription to Rhapsody you can also watch her videos on Launch here. There is a live performance on this one as well in which you can sort of see how she utilizes the peddle set-up to layer sound in her music but it is not as obvious as in the Rhapsody video. There are also interview videos in which you can listen to KT and her cool Scottish accent as she discusses her background and upbringing. With her first album just scratching the surface of her musical potential I look forward to following KT Tunstall’s growth as a musician. If you haven’t heard KT Tunstall, I encourage you to visit one of these places and watch and listen. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree will give you a shot of musical espresso to jump start the day.