Many dance music enthusiasts have sweated a late night away somewhere on a crowded dance floor to the sounds of Sylvia Tosun's recent hit single "Sleepless" in its remixed form, but few would expect the eclectic background and fathomless talent found on Jump In, her third outing as a solo artist. A long-time vocal contributor to works by the renowned Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the mood of her new album is definitely one of a worldly intellect fronted by pure pop sensibility.
On Jump In, Sylvia entices us to join her as she makes her journey through the myriad of clever vocal arrangements and lyrics provided her by an impressive collection of industry veterans. Produced by Miklos Malek, whose credits include hits by Celine Dion and Anastacia, and mixed by three-time Grammy winner Tom Lord -Alge, the album rests its strongest merits on the self-penned musical arrangements of Sylvia and the marvelous songwriting of Julie Flanders and Emil Adler, whose releases as the October Project have garnered more than their own share of accolades. With a dream team behind her amazing voice, this album has no chance of going wrong at any turn.
Many of the tracks on this album are reinterpretations of songs featured on Sylvia's earliest EP release Too Close To The Sun, paired with a bevy of new compositions that make the worldly presence complete. In comparing the original versions of some of the more outstanding tracks to their new incarnations (most notably the first single, "Sleepless"), it is plain to see how much Sylvia's current stylings are a direct influence of her work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and her international travels associated with her Anthems release. The album possesses a mystic charm throughout that transcends labels of new age, but doesn't quite fit in alongside Green Day as a "pop" release either. In a timeless class by itself, Jump In is a refreshing introduction to what really good music is about in a day and age when 99% of music fed to the general public fails to stand up over time.
Often compared to fiercely independent artists like Annie Lennox or Peter Gabriel, Sylvia Tosun is just as easily likened to consistent and perennial artists like Enya or Sarah McLachlan. The ballads on her album would make veterans of the artform like Tina Arena or Celine Dion green with envy, as best heard in the inspiring "We Belong."
The piano skills Sylvia possesses would drive wanna-be divas like Alicia Keys into permanent exile, and the omnipresent guitar lines never overpower any of the perfectly blended elements on any track. This album is about one thing: harmony. Nowhere do you find the worthless filler of an average CD purchase, and tagged at the end for those dance enthusiasts who have "discovered" this talented girl through her dance mixes is the Lance Jordan mix of "Sleepless," worth the price of the CD alone since the remixes were never commercially released to the public. Demand that your local record store carry this one, or visit www.sylviatosun.com to purchase her entire discography and read up on her amazing career. Definitely one to watch.
