Elif Sanchez

Singer Elif Sanchez grew up in Istanbul, before moving to the US to study jazz oboe and voice at Berklee College of Music. Unsurprisingly, her debut album reflects these influences, presenting a selection of Turkish and Azerbaijani folk songs, arranged with a glossy, jazz-lite sheen.

Sanchez’s voice is undeniably captivating, subtly hovering around microtones with graceful delicacy while projecting the mood of lachrymose yearning typical of traditional Anatolian song. But the accompaniment of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and trumpet, while striving for a smoky jazz club vibe, feels just a little too polite, a little too polished, a little too clean. If you’re going to interpret timeless tales of sorrow, longing and regret, it’s probably best not to sound quite so comfortable and luxuriant. As such, the more stripped back tunes work better. Where Sanchez is backed by a single acoustic guitar, without the tasteful trumpet and slinky rim-shots, she’s able to communicate a vulnerability that brings the songs to life. The album finishes with a rendition of ‘Contigo Aprendí’, a gentle ballad by Mexican composer Armando Manzanero, which pushes the schmaltz levels even higher. Sometimes less really is more.