It didn't take much for me to be hooked on Portland's Sophe Lux. As I was listening to their second album, "Waking the Mystics", the richness and diversity of their music unfolded gradually as the album progressed.

The focus is naturally on the singer, Gwyneth Haynes, who has a very surprising talent of changing her voice through the songs. In the beginning of the album she reminded me of Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls, with a flavor of cabaret that complimented the resemblance. Later, she suddenly appeared as Kate Bush, Tori Amos or Natalie Merchant, and I thought to myself, what a unique combination of these legendary female singers in one person. It's not like she's ripping them off, but more of a homage.

This album sounds like a rock musical that tells a story, and its lead actress plays a whole new character in every scene/song. This sensation was supported by the first song that caught me, the 8-minute odyssey "Marie Antoinette Robot 2073 (A Rock Opera)" (which can be downloaded from their MySpace). The music itself is also colorful and adventurous, although it doesn't stray from its piano-based pop-rock grounds. The beautiful melodies told me a story, so I listened closely and discovered one of the most compelling albums of this year. I hope you'll fall under its spell too.