North of New York
Charlotte Kendrick's "North of New York" is an album from an artist who did not initially set out to pursue music as a profession. Kendrick began as a health education teacher in West Africa. She moved to New York City, where she bartended. Open mic nights prompted Kendrick to choose music as her profession, and listeners are definitely all the better for her decision.
On "Off the Tracks" Kendrick goes on about how she fell off her path thanks to a certain someone, but he has since disappeared from her life leaving her reeling. She emotes her feelings of loss with lines like, "I fell off the tracks cuz I couldn't get you back. You made me want to be the best that I could be but now you're gone/It's like ridin' a bike. It comes back easy to me/I know it's over but it's not sinkin' in. Movin' forward."
"Drag You Down" has simple guitar melody throughout. Kendrick sings about not wanting to press her beloved for a commitment, but she wants to let listeners know that she envisions a future with him. "I'm gonna leave you alone tonight. You been sayin' you need a little quiet time and I don't want to crowd your heart. I won't talk about the future if you find it hard."
On "Caroline" Kendrick gives listeners a typical story song that describes the life and times of a specific female. Kendrick's supple vocals delineate where this girl was born and particular events in her life that transformed her. "She was born in the Rockies, in a clear mountain light. She had a pink baby blanket till her father died. Now she lives in California/She takes pictures of the ocean/And she'll change your flat tire any time you break down. So long Caroline, you're a woman of your own sweet design. So long, Caroline, take a picture for me." Kendrick makes this story come alive.
"North of New York," from Charlotte Kendrick, is an album by an artist whose uncomplicated folk melodies will enthrall admirers of all musical genres. Kendrick's muted vocals get across the narratives she relays with absolute resonance, leaving listeners with visions of certain people and places.