The cliché that will bless and haunt the artist formerly known as New Buffalo is that Sally Seltmann co-wrote “1-2-3-4” with Feist. It’s an unavoidable bio fact that, alone, will keep her safe and sound for quite a while, and neatly serve as auto-promo for the first solo album released under her own name. Still, she has a lot more to prove since Feist vacuum-packed all of the fame that went with that era-defining ditty.
Seltmann’s vocal approach is much smoother and airier, occasionally betraying her Australian background. It’s the kind of stuff that continues to perfectly encapsulate the kind of sensibility forged by Lisa Germano (particularly on “Book Song”) and Lily Frost. Repeated listens reveal her natural gift for gorgeous melodic contours that show off the lovely upper range of her voice, and with songs like “Sentimental Seeker” and “Dream About Changing,” Sally Seltmann could be once again blessed by the gods of licensing deals, even if household-name status eludes her.