A debut LP of songs sultry and masterful, Bess Rogers fashions herself as a mild-mannered librarian on the album art for Decisions Based On Information. But based on the piercing glare from over her plastic-rimmed glasses, she's got much more to offer than volumes of books and an impressive vocabulary. Judging by the selection on these shelves, the album is going to cover relationships, sins and sinners, secrets, and maybe even sports. Leaving no stone unturned, Rogers runs through genres in an unbefuddling fashion. Quite a feat for a recipient of a Master's degree from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music.

"Earthquake" is sultry, "You & Me" twee and jaunty, and "I Would Never" is full of humor. Backing such up-and-comers as Jenny Owen Youngs and Ingrid Michaelson, Bess Rogers poised herself for her own leap into the solo arena. In doing so, she has exposed herself as a key element of those artists' sound.

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Tags: Album Reviews, Bess Rogers, Brooklyn