Kristina Train quietly blows up our expectations. On her deceptively straightforward albums, you hear Kristina relaxed, her songwriting clear. Her voice mid-flight, saying what she means to say. There is bounty here, a pinch of wise vinegar; baleful truths and blossoms spilling perfume. For the categorically-minded, what are we listening to? Americana? Something approaching “Chamber Folk?” “Blues Pop?” “Gritty” double-dapping “pretty?” I honestly don’t know and for once, uncharacteristically, I don’t need closure.

We met, gosh, some time ago? She was supposed to be a person named “Christine,” but she wasn’t. It’s a long story, man. Point being, the band and I were, like, who is this singer amongst ladies?! Many treks through the humanities later we have Spilt Milk, Dark Black, Rayon City, We the People, and Body Pressure.

She has a way of keeping us guessing. Growing up in Savannah, Georgia, with some time in New Jersey thrown in, she started playing violin at age three. Although her origins were heavily embedded in symphonic music, she released her debut album on Blue Note Records and became a touring member of Herbie Hancock’s band. Later, a move from New York to London brought the influence of synth-based pop to her sophomore album, Dark Black, often played in Bruce Springsteen’s home as he’s stated in multiple interviews.

Then came the move back to the states and a departure from love and heartbreak-based material. The brainwashing scene from the 1974 thriller The Parallax View, might seem an odd platform to launch a song, but Alan Pakula’s dark riffs on home and country were on her mind when she took a touristy turn around Philadelphia’s historical monuments a few years back. We the People lands with particular urgency. Produced in Nashville by Bill Reynolds (Avett Brothers/Band of Horses) at his home studio, Train’s remarkable band includes a cast of musicians from across the genre spectrum from veterans and members of Bruce Hornsby to Milk Carton Kids; Tony Rice to Warren Haynes.

Residing in that tough space between tender and severe, We the People walks the musical/political tightrope with the deftness of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On? or Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth. Maybe “message songs” are more inviting when they are genuinely beautiful? “What’s the price of our freedom?,” Train sings, “What’s the light we possess?” Consider it a shot across the bow for a more perfect union.

I believe her songs and performances hang with the best in the firmament. You get a sense of her ambition when you hear her sing “May God protect the fools and babies/ But you ain’t a baby anymore.” Her voice is pure, richly embodied, and crystal clear, with a recognizable nod to the vocal traditions of Nat King Cole, Roy Orbison, and Dusty Springfield. While her take on modern crooning is familiar, it can also be excitingly idiosyncratic, as showcased in her latest release, Body Pressure. It’s been a long journey and a relief to finally hear music for the grown. Life and loves that are real, not aspirational. Can you pick up what Kristina Train is putting down? If so, please take this “Homemade Bomb” out into the world.

—Mike Mattison (Tedeschi Trucks Band), somewhere in West Georgia

Visit kristinatrain.com to learn more.