It took about fifteen seconds for me to decide that 22-year-old Halie Loren was bound for greatness; that's the point at which quiet piano gives way to powerful voice on "Maybe I'll Fly," the first track on her stunning debut album, Full Circle. It's a voice that's been compared (deservedly) to greats like Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell (who Halie delicately and wonderfully covers on Track 4, "River").

On her website, Halie lists influences as diverse as Bjork, Etta James, and Nine Inch Nails, and Full Circle has hints of all those flavors. "Pretty Truth" and "Kitty" are best compared to the choppy folk of Ani DiFranco or the spooky cabaret of Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls), while tracks like "Sand" and "Full Circle" bring to mind Free Dominguez (ex- of kidneythieves) and Amy Lee (of Evanescence) with their bleak, eerie lyrics and angry vocals. Tori Amos once famously (and apocryphally) said that all Trent Reznor needed was "a teddy bear and a warm cup of cocoa," and if you can envision that scene, you'll have a good idea how Full Circle tastes: rich, dark, bittersweet, and oh-so satisfying.

Favorite Track: Track 9, "Numb"

Michael Fiegel is a freelance writer and graphic designer. His diverse background includes journalism, radio copywriting, technical writing, game design and music reviewing. He is best known as the creator of the Internet cult sensation, Ninja Burger. He can be reached at aeon@aeforge.com or at his website, www.aeforge.com.