Kyle Kidd – Soothsayer – New LP Record 2022 American Dreams Shuga Exclusive White Vinyl – Soul / R&B American Dreams Records

“Living as a queer, androgynous person, I have always seen the world beyond the binary.” That’s Kyle Kidd (all pronouns) talking about their debut solo album, Soothsayer. “Those who came before me,” they say, “were deeply connected through spirituality, with the gift to see the future wielded through the powers of ritual.” Kidd titled the album Soothsayer on the basis of this ancestral background. But the title doesn’t just reference a term, it clarifies what the album is: an expansive rendering of life beyond the binary, balancing self-possession and self-preservation, the challenges of vulnerability and the redemptive possibilities of love — all in a half-hour.

To hear Kidd’s voice is to hear majesty: dynamic, virtuosic, evocative, and – frankly – hard to believe. On the moving, pleading opener “Salvation,” Kidd rockets to sublime heights with the divine energy of a holy spirit visitation. Perhaps this is no surprise given Kidd’s performance history. After performing in church choir and community theater as a child, she competed on several editions of American Idol, broadening their scope as a member with acclaimed Cleveland band Mourning [A] BLKstar. One might expect confidence from a singer with this resume, and Kidd delivers right out of the gate with the atmospheric “Salvation,” their voice easily swelling into the eaves of their register, one-and-a-half octaves above middle C. It’s one of two percussion-less numbers on the album, supported instead by ripples of synth (Jah Nada) and guitar (Smith Taylor, Marcus Alan Ward). These instruments provide a foundation for Kidd’s vocal runs, with subtle changes providing big mood shifts. On the simmering slow burn of “Temple,” they’re joined by drums (Red Tailed Hawk Luna, Neil Chastain); elsewhere, brass, woodwinds, harp, violin. Throughout, there’s a sense of Kidd pushing against the edges of soul, electronic, and experimental sensibilities, bolstered by a slew of Cleveland- and Midwest-based musicians.