Birdy

British chanteuse Birdy was only 15 when she recorded her eponymous debut, but she'd actually begun composing original songs at the age of seven. That said, this album is largely driven by the strength of its cover songs; her stripped-down versions of tracks both old and new are utterly charming. She opens with a spare take on Phoenix’s “1901”, turning the tune into a lovelorn ballad with a little appropriating of Adele’s melancholy piano style. She makes Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” even more wintry while nailing all those vocal parts with her own cloned harmonies. Keeping the preciousness intact, her gossamer rendition of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” exercises the same restraint while infusing a womanly emotion throughout. She even makes James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” sound indie.