The first time I heard Diane Birch, I was instantly reminded of Laura Nyro, particularly the 1971 album Nyro recorded with Labelle (seriously, if you don’t have Gonna Take A Miracle, which I discovered thanks to this film, get on it). Carole King was another singer-songwriter that sprung to mind, piano in tow.

Similar associations, if not always the very same, have been made elsewhere since the release of Birch’s debut, Bible Belt. Even the 26-year-old singer-songwriter’s online bio isn’t shy about shouting the Nyro comparison, waiting only as long as the end of the very first paragraph to do so (with a bonus Karen Carpenter mention). Which is great, because I totally look for confirmation from a piece most likely crafted by record-label committee.

The proof is, however, in the grooves. Or more accurately, the bits and bytes in these digital-centric days. But Birch really delivers, somehow defying her young age by hearkening back to a time when such richer, denser sounds ruled the AM airwaves (a time long before she was born). And while the production team behind Bible Belt is the same that helped usher in Joss Stone’s soul revival, the songs on this LP are all Birch originals.

If you happened to grab “Rise Up,” an iTunes free Single of the Week back in May, and didn’t like it enough to care any further, know that it’s one of my least favorite tracks of the Bible Belt bunch. There are so many much better, like “Fools,” in which Birch’s vocals, the melody, and the instrumentation (those horns!) move along together at a lovely pace:

Purchase Diane Birch – Bible Belt via iTunes, Amazon MP3.