Description
Kandace Springs – Indigo – Vinyl Record
Kandace Springs’ Indigo, released on September 7, 2018, is a soulful and genre-blurring album that solidified Springs’ reputation as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary jazz, soul, and R&B. With Indigo, Springs crafts a sound that is at once elegant, emotionally rich, and stylistically fluid, drawing from classic influences like Nina Simone and Norah Jones while placing her firmly in the modern jazz-pop landscape. The album showcases her smoky, expressive voice and accomplished piano playing, weaving together stories of love, resilience, and self-reflection with understated sophistication.
Produced by Karrãm Riggins, a drummer and producer known for his work with Common and J Dilla, Indigo is a carefully balanced blend of organic instrumentation and smooth, hip-hop-influenced grooves. It departs from the more traditional jazz framework of her 2016 debut Soul Eyes, introducing subtle electronic textures and more overtly contemporary elements without sacrificing musical depth. This approach creates a modern soundscape where Kandace’s vocal warmth and classical piano sensibility remain front and center.
The album opens with “Don’t Need the Real Thing,” a sultry, slow-burning track that immediately establishes Springs’ command of mood and texture. It’s a song that reflects emotional independence and self-worth—recurring themes throughout the album. Her vocal delivery is cool and restrained, yet emotionally resonant, a signature of her interpretive style.
One of the standout moments on Indigo is “Piece of Me,” a lush, downtempo ballad co-written with Riggins, which blends jazz phrasing with neo-soul groove. Here, Springs balances vulnerability and strength, using space and phrasing to draw the listener into an intimate emotional world. Another key track, “Fix Me,” dives deeper into a retro soul vibe, channeling the sounds of early Alicia Keys with a jazzier touch, complete with layered harmonies and fluid piano lines.
Springs also pays homage to her influences with carefully chosen covers. Her rendition of “People Make the World Go Round” (originally by The Stylistics) is a highlight—restrained, meditative, and deeply felt. It serves as both a musical tribute and a reminder of her ability to take classic material and reinterpret it through a modern lens. Likewise, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (popularized by Roberta Flack) is delivered with stunning delicacy, allowing Springs’ vocal phrasing and dynamic control to shine.
Throughout Indigo, the arrangements are lush but uncluttered. The production allows each instrument to breathe, from the brushed drums and upright bass to the swirling keys and tasteful guitar licks. Collaborations with musicians like Roy Hargrove (on the trumpet-accented “Unsophisticated”) further deepen the album’s connection to jazz tradition, while the overall tone remains accessible to fans of contemporary R&B and soul.
What makes Indigo stand out is Springs’ ability to cross genres without losing her artistic identity. The album feels cohesive despite its stylistic range because of the unifying power of her voice and the thoughtful, organic production. She doesn’t rely on vocal acrobatics or flashy arrangements—instead, she leans into the emotional core of each song, whether it’s a love lament or a quiet moment of introspection.
Critically, Indigo was well-received, with praise focused on its elegance, genre fusion, and Springs’ maturity as both a vocalist and songwriter. It affirmed her position as one of the rising stars in the modern soul-jazz continuum, drawing favorable comparisons to the likes of Lalah Hathaway, Norah Jones, and Esperanza Spalding.
In essence, Indigo is a deeply personal and musically sophisticated work that honors the roots of soul and jazz while speaking in a distinctly 21st-century voice. It’s the kind of album that reveals new layers with each listen—intimate, stylish, and emotionally grounded.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Don’t Need The Real Thing
Breakdown
Fix Me
Indigo (Pt. 1)
Piece Of Me
6 8
Indigo (Pt. 2)
People Make The World Go ‘Round
Unsophisticated Featuring – Roy Hargrove
Black Orchid
Love Sucks
The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face
Simple Things
