Soulful Singer-Songwriter Rachel Mazer Hits the Ground Running with Her Debut, How Do We Get By (premiere) (album stream)

When Rachel Mazer launched her solo career last November, she immediately began turning heads. The delectable vintage pop hooks of “Is It So Wrong” and “Open Heart” were propelled forward by her genuine soul, eking through in the singer-songwriter’s effortless, expressive stylings as she capably led jazz-inflected grooves in instrumentation forward. That same rich, infectious production and keen, soul-stirring attention to detail pervades every corner of How Do We Get By, Mazer’s debut LP, which features the aforementioned singles beside several new tracks. Operating somewhere between the likes of Rachael Price, Sara Bareilles, and countless forefathers and mothers of classic American soul, Mazer deftly slinks through a beautifully-realized collection of songs on her full-length debut.

Previously known as a freelance vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, How Do We Get By marks Mazer’s first time basking in the spotlight full-on, and deservedly so. Fully funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign with a $20,000 goal, the album features a variety of brilliant musicians from the Michigan scene that Mazer had previously met during freelance performances and opening gigs. Although its jazz and soul undertones are most prevalent, they don’t shackle the singer-songwriter into going any singular direction, either. Miraculously layered, each track presents another side to Mazer’s artistic character. While “Is It So Wrong” wouldn’t sound like a stranger on a Lake Street Dive album, “Jupiters Moon” would feel at home on a Beyonce one. Skirting metropolitan influences ranging from urban to blue-eyed soul to pop, Mazer establishes herself as someone who emanates a multi-sided, full-bodied artistry. Out now, How Do We Get By marks the start of what should be an impressive, long-standing solo career.