On her genre-hopping and language-swapping debut full-length, this American-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter trades the smooth delivery of labelmate Norah Jones for the quirky vocal stylings of Regina Spektor. But unlike Spektor,
Roché hints at the refined elegance of songstresses new (Fiona Apple) and old (Billie Holiday). The Chase doesn’t feel nearly as long as its seventeen tracks might suggest, probably due to Roché’s penchant for penning short, playful pop songs. Her most notable songwriting accomplishment, though, is never diminishing her breathy, idiosyncratic voice, which alone establishes Roché as a formidable, wholly versatile talent.
