Singer Deena Goodman is a natural redhead, both passionate and fierce, organic and soulful. With a sultry, R&B-tinged voice that gently wraps around lyrics and fits snugly into the curves of warm melodies, Goodman is a musician whose talent effortlessly soars above that of her peers. Infused with honey-coated pop hooks that gently affix themselves to your memory, Goodmans sound is subtly complex, combining soul, jazz, blues and rock. Slide her album into your stereo, and you will understand from the moment you hear the first notes, that the motivation to make music is etched into every corner of this singers soul. "Its just a natural inclination for me to want to do this," she says. "I always felt music was the natural route I was going to take." Still, Goodman, who spent her four university years at New York Universitys prestigious Tisch school, nearly had the course of her life altered when, the morning after her graduation, she woke up unable to speak. The singer, who called music her lifeblood because its what Im the best at, and said theres nothing I could have done if I couldnt sing was forced to reconsider her path. The nodules her doctor found on her throat would have devastated any other aspiring musician. For Goodman, however, they were ultimately the painful force that drove her to pursue her dream with even more vigor. As she began to go through therapy to heal her vocal chords, Goodman sought out a lawyer and a producer to help her pursue her dream. The album that ultimately emerged from her efforts is best described as soul rock with a Seventies edge. With influences ranging from Janis Joplins deep, raw and passionate voice, to the effortless melodic intonations in the voices of Carole King and Bonnie Raitt, Goodmans debut album is unlike anything being tossed onto shelves by other young female vocalists. Hard to Get To, the opening track, begins slowly before erupting into the chorus with lyrics that introduce Goodman as a woman whose strength emerges from her vulnerability: "Send him my best regards / Tell him that love, it wasnt in the cards / Im sorry if that sounds cruel." Sometimes, addresses the lover that cant commit, but instead of wallowing in sadness, it finds the singer working through the dilemma of wanting to leave that person, while finding herself falling back into old patterns: "I want more but Ive had enough / face down and I cant get out of this / I must have fallen too hard." Each track on the five-song debut has its own personality. Walking All Over is the most instrumentally serene track, while Too Damaged to Care, the catchy, hook-laden rock track brings the energy back up. Your Rock, which Goodman co-wrote with SPIN DOCTORS lead singer CHRIS BARON, is a sunny song that shines with Barrons backing vocals. Mike Shimshack, who guided Goodman from the outset, helping her find the way she wanted to write songs, and the sound she wanted to pursue, produced the album. Songwriter JEFF COHEN (EVAN AND JARON, BIG AND RICH) contributed to the albums seventies soul vibe, co-writing Too Damaged to Care. Goodman, who wanted the instrumentation on the album to be a strong aspect of its appeal, worked with ANDY HESS on bass (GOVERNMENT MULE, BLACK CROWES), NIR Z on drums (JOHN MAYER), BILLY STEIN on keys (BOY GEORGE), and DUKE LEVINE on guitar (MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER). Live, Goodman shines with infectious energy, striving to make eye contact with each person in the audience. "My artistic energy emerges when I play live," she says. "I dont feel more at home anywhere than when Im up there," she says with a bubbling excitement that makes you understand and feel her innate drive. "And thats not cheesy, she adds. Thats the damn truth"