City Garden

On her sixth and most unrestrained album City Garden, Jess Klein reveals everything. "I was at a really hard point in my life and the only thing I knew to do to make it easier was to write," said Klein. "I sat down and the song 'All I Ever Had' came out, and it felt like a faucet had been turned on because it was such a release of emotion. The first night that I performed it, several people told me it had moved them to tears. I realized that I wasn't the only one who felt that something had been released."

Klein said that she wanted every song on this album to have that same power "to release and to heal." With her soulful, passionate voice up front, and lyrics that alternate between searing and heartbreakingly tender, Klein went for a gritty, primal production style reminiscent of early blues albums. As a result, City Garden exudes the emotional intimacy that has captivated audiences at Klein's much-lauded live shows, an intimacy which, coupled with Klein's powerful voice, caused the Boston Globe to describe her as "Quite simply one of the most gifted performers this area has produced."

Klein's impassioned vocals throughout convey the power of unearthing one's true nature. In the title track, Klein ruminates on addressing one's fears and owning the power that lies underneath them: "Been lookin' at my city garden for almost twelve months now/I been thinkin' 'bout a bargain/About tearin' that old fence down."