Song title: Cry Sometimes
Artist: Kate Earl
Album title: Fate Is the Hunter
Year: 2005
Genre/Style: Pop
Record label: Warner Bros.
City/Country of Origin: USA
Personal notes:

I heard Kate Earl first on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in 2004. If memory serves me right, there were about a half million young, female singer-songwriters debuting in the first half of the decade. There was something not only sincere, but genuine in her performance on KCRW. Her first album is messy mix of genres, but it works. My favorite track is "Cry Sometimes," which is a wonderful track that outdoes most of the more dramatic neo-soul that came out of the UK later in the decade (think Amy Winehouse and Duffy) because of its understated, pitch-perfect performance. There's plenty other songs to recommend on the album, which, by the way, is superbly recorded.