MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: REBECCA EVERETT - YOYO

Interesting, in every positive sense of the word.  Everett, a B.C. transplant living in Toronto, is a living crash course in different styles, sounds and times.  We'll get to her fascinating voice in a moment, but you should also know she is a classically-trained violinist, and played and sang in a Klezmer band for six years and a bluegrass group for two.  What you'll hear on this six-track EP is music that touches time periods and genres all over the decades, including jazz, torch songs, a touch of Paris, 50's popular, 60's pop, and a hint of her former bands.

Now, the pipes.  Everett has one of those charming, lilting voices that cheers you up, and hints at all kinds of fun.  It's what grabs you immediately and sets the tone that this is going to be something different.  In her case, it's the ability to touch on music your mother should know, and somehow make it sound chic and today.

Everett is also the songwriter, so we're looking at the complete package here.  Gloriously, she has word skills too.  Put Your Hands On Me is a cool tune of desire, again with that playfulness.  The one cover is a remake of a song we all know, but she turns Happy Together on its head, returning it to its love song birth, and dumping The Turtles' big brassy theatrics.  It's too bad the one misstep is the focus song here, leading off the EP and getting the video and airplay treatment.  YoYo, the title cut, is a goof, a tune about loving an old, cracked YoYo and not wanting to get rid of it