Gamine With Guitar

posted in: Artist Features • Pop

Leave it to Samantha Kirshtein to make you feel like a real lazybones. She plays volleyball and tennis. Likes to garden and cook. Fishes and surfs. Gets good grades. Plays the guitar and sings like a dream. And, on top of that, she’s only 13. The South Carolinian was raised on a wholesome diet of classics like Bob Dylan, The Eagles and Hank Williams. But, when you listen to her music, it’s evident that the girl is a Taylor Swift fan at heart. Kirshtein’s voice has a lovely, natural huskiness complemented by her even and pure singing style. It’s simple, but instantly likeable. Her material is made up mostly of bright and sunny folk songs, like “Love Birds””a punchy, much younger cousin to John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane.” “All of the Above” is a similarly upbeat, pop-country ditty with a radio-ready melodic hook. But this teenage ingénue is also capable of tackling serious subject matter while avoiding schmaltz. “I Do Too,” is a delicate, grassy homage to Kirshtein’s grandfather, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It’s rare to find this kind of poise in an artist so young. Expect big things from Kirshtein in the years to come. We do.