Rock prodigy, 12 year-old, singer-songwriter, Kjersti Long releases her debut album, Stronger Than You Think I Am, via Broadway Records. The LP features her take on rock and Broadway covers as well as original songs...

Kjersti Long has an incredibly powerful singing voice... for a 12 year-old. I was impressed, but only because of how young she was as well as the diversity of tracks here, which help to show her range (or in the occasional instance, limited range). Songs like 'Dream On' need a mature voice. She has a hard job with the low notes and it takes you out of the moment.

The album features 12 songs (48 min, 35 sec), some a collaboration with multi-platinum songwriter, producer and film composer, Frankie Vinci. ‘Not Your Princess,’ ‘Not Helpless,’ ‘Love Blind,’ and ‘Roller Coaster’ were recorded at Frankie Vinci Studios. ‘Illuminate Me’ and the emotional, ‘I Cry,’ a tribute to loved ones lost and covers by Heart, Queen, Pat Benatar, and Aerosmith along with a mash up of 'Leave' and 'Falling Slowly' from the Broadway musical, Once were recorded at Sonic Adventure Studio. A live track from her performance at The Velour in Provo, Utah of Little Mix’s ‘Secret Love Song,’ adds to the variety of the album.

The end result is a bit of a mishmash of styles. She delivers a pretty impressive interpretation of Heart's 'Alone' but then totally ruins it by giving a really weak performance on her rendition of Queen's 'Somebody to Love'. It starts well, but her voice just isn't there yet. Still, a brave choice.

Young fans of Long will play this over and over... but for everyone else this is more of a novelty album from a young girl with a promising musical career in her future.

5

Nick Smithson