Mikal Evans: A Jailhouse… A Kingdom

Mikal Evans has a voice that is an acquired taste, but once acquired its hard to pass up. Evans, who mixes folk with intricate arrangements, comes off like the devilish little sister of Kathleen Edwards on the soulful, bluesy “Dark Hushes Light”. It’s a great beginning to the five-song EP that also contains the poppy, roots rock nugget “That City”. But Evans finds her niche perfectly on the slow, deliberate and down-tempo “Penitentiary” with its alt.country or Americana guitar accents. Sadly, Evans leaves “Virginia Wind” twisting in the wind, resembling something that Sheryl Crow might have attempted circa The Globe Sessions but then quickly tossed aside. Overall it’s a good first impression, but then again it’s only a handful of songs.